YAF Connection 10.01 Issue

CONNECTIONYOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

CELEBRATING20

1991

2011

YEAR ANNIVERSARY

SCALE IN ARCHITECTUREAIA OHIO VALLEY REGION

AIA GULF STATES REGION

JANUARY 2012

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Disclaimer: This publication is created by Young Architect members of the American Institute of Architects. Views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors.

CONTENT

04 NEWSYAF News

Letters and Program Details for 20 Summit

06 EDITOR'S NOTEScale in ArchitectureDeepika Padam, AIA shares her favorite projects from 201110 PERSPECTIVE

Un-Competition ProjectMarc Teer, AIA questions the value of design competitions as a business launching strategy 12 DESIGN

Bigelow ChapelSteven Dwyer, AIA shares the design process and client feedback for the project16 CONSTRUCTION

The Venture-Funded ProfessionWyatt Frantom, AIA shares the details of

DriDOCK and Galveston Green Build 22 BOOK REVIEWSuccess by Design by Jenn KennedyAlexander Lungershausen, AIA reviews the book about 25 California architects23 BOOK REVIEW

Success by Design by Jenn KennedyBrock Martinson offers his review of the book

about 25 California architects

25 DESIGNCape Russell RetreatBrandon Frazier Pace, AIA talks of a project set in a densely wooded setting close to water

34 DESIGNL.B. Landry High SchoolAmanda Rivera, AIA and Jenny Pelc, AIA share their experience working on a tight schedule

30 DESIGNCoahoma County Higher Education Ctr.

Brett Cupples, AIA talks of a project that had to work around an 'imposing' historical mansion

44 DESIGNGreen Forest Middle SchoolChris Baribeau, AIA shares the story of a school that preserved a campus' existing green space

38 DESIGNHongqiao International Medical City

Brent Hughes, AIA talks of a master planning design competition leading to a real project

48 DESIGNMemphis Veterinary Specialists Facility

Matt Seltzer, AIA shares the story of working with a client with a pre-conceived project plan

FEATURING GULF STATES REGION

YAF 20 SUMMIT

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3SCAFFOLDING CAN BE LEASED FOR USE IN SINGLE UNIT PRODUCTION OR PURCHASED FOR RE-USE IN MULTIPLE UNITS, AMORTIZING THE COST OVER VOLUME

WOOD FORMWORK CAN BE RE-USED AS PERMANENT WALL BACKING WHERE APPLICABLE AND/OR UP-CYCLED AS A FINISH MATERIAL IN THE UNIT

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The driDOCK elevated foundation system, much like the structural underbody of your automobile, serves as a chassis for a variety of potential architectural “makes and models”; literally providing the foundation for flexible floor plans and a design customized to your preferences.

THE STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS ARE INHERENTLY LIGHT-WEIGHT AND SIZED IN ORDER TO BE MANAGED BY ONE PERSON

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YAFCONNECTION0 1 '1 2

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53 EVENTAIA OVR Unconvention 2011Brian McAlexander, Assoc. AIA and Gregory Spon Assoc. AIA share details of sessions at this event for emerging professionals

56 LEADERSHIPReflecting on 2011

Adam Palmer, AIA reports on the outcomes of YAF under his Chairmanship in 2011 59 LEADERSHIP

2012 YAF Advisory CommitteeMeet the leaders of Young Architects Forum at the AIA national level62 LEADERSHIP

Looking Ahead at 2012The incoming Chair, Jennifer Workman, AIA

shares her story and YAF plans for the year 64 LEADERSHIPYAF Communications Advisory GroupMeet the 2012 advisors for YAF publications

65 LEADERSHIPYAF Communications Sub-Committee

Meet the editorial team of YAF and apply for open positions for 2012

FEATURING OHIO VALLEY REGION

Map Showing Locations of Article Contibutors for this Issue. US Map Source: www.cardhouse.com

News

STAY CONNECTEDYAF at AIAYAF's Home webpage. www.aia.org/yaf

AIA ArchiblogThis blog provides YAF-related news in real time. Get involved in the discussion! www.blog.aia.org/yaf

YAF KnowledgeNetA knowledge resource for awards, announcements, podcasts, blogs, and valuable articles. The archives of YAF Connection and the Young Architect Award winners' entries... This resource has it all!www.network.aia.org/AIA/YoungArchitectsForum

Architect’s Knowledge ResourceThe Architect's Knowledge Resource connects AIA members and others to the most current information on architecture, including research, best practices, product reviews, ratings, image banks, trends, and more. It's your place to find solutions, share your expertise, and connnect with colleagues. www.aia.org/akr

YAF on LinkedInStay connected with the YAF leadership and all the young architects you meet at the convention, and get involved in group discussions.www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=2066423

YAF on TwitterFollow YAF on Twitter @AIAYAF

YAF on FacebookBecome a Fan of AIA Young Architects Forum on Facebook.

Know Someone Who’s Not Getting The YAF Connection?Don’t let them be out of the loop any longer. It’s easy for AIA members to sign up. Update your AIA member profile and add the Young Architects Forum under “Your Knowledge Communities.”

• Go to www.aia.org and sign in.• Click on “For Members” link next to the AIA logo on top.• Click on “Edit your personal information” on the left side

under AIA members tab.• Click “Your knowledge communities” under Your Account

on the left• Add YAF.

CALL FOR ARTICLESWould you like to submit articles for inclusion in an upcoming issue?Contact the editor at [email protected].

AIA AMENDS CE REQUIREMENTSThe American Institute of Architects (AIA) has amended its continuing education membership requirement to incorporate 12 hours of health, safety, and welfare (HSW) continuing education hours (CEHs). For details read Resolution 2011-01 at www.ncarb.org.

LETTERSReader comments from the University of Houston graduates from 2008 to 2011 with ages between 22 and 32 for the November issue of YAF Connection themed Collaborations.

I think it would be great to get it (Connection) online in more of a blog format that integrates with Facebook and Twitter. The articles would be searchable and it would be a more sustainable approach that would spread to a broader audience. Perhaps you could develop a YAF page through Architizer. ENYA (Emerging New York Architects) has an Architizer page started but they could do more with it:http://w w w.architizer.com/en_us/firms/view/emerging‐new‐york‐architects/2266/. A Facebook page would also be great if there is not one in place already. Articles and information could be released on a consistent basis that would strike the News Feed. We live in an age now where snippets of information are more enticing than publications. The bleak but honest reality of today's bloggy youth! I find most of (the above) comments to be true. However, I like physically holding pamphlets, newsletters, etc. I find that I soak up more information from a newsletter when its in my hand rather than on a computer. It's so much easier to scroll down on a page than flip through a book, so I will ignore less and read more if it's 3D. With that said, I say keep the hardcopy newsletter. I like everything about this publication, but I find it to be long. But this may be based on the number of times a year its published? There seems to be a lot of featured articles/articles of interest and each of them seem long themselves. I personally tend to read an article if its shorter and has pictures as I am stimulated visually and usually skip articles that have no pictures unless I find the title to be of great interest. I may be only of a select few that does this. I find news coverage and event coverage and facts and figures more useful to me than opinionated articles.

I completely agree with a more blog‐like interaction approach. I tend to take in lots of information from various sources at singular moments via RSS or similar feeds. Taking the time to sit through an entire publication is a bit daunting.

I am also not sure of the identity of the organization. I have a hard time understanding the approach to the word "Young". I see some graphics. Some articles aiming towards a younger crowd. But most images are terribly uninteresting and have an overly AIA feel. Not in a good way. Lots of old white guys in these pictures. Lots of pictures of people over 50. And those under are dressing like bankers! ties??? Where are the hipsters? Where are the H&M shoppers? The image on pg15 is a great example. Old white men talking. Young interns glued to their monitors. Empty memories of caffeine on the desk. How does this image help attract the audience? Why are the people writing from


05

YAF 20 SUMMITAt the AIA Grassroots Conference of 2012, YAF will host the YAF 20 Summit to commemorate the 20 year anniversary and to set the goals for the upcoming years. The participants will include invited COF and AIA members, Young Architect Regional Directors, and YAF Advisory Committee (AdCom). Complete the survey leading up to the summit and you might win a trip to join the Summit in Washington DC! See details on page 20.

Brief SummaryThis year the Young Architects Forum celebrates 20-years of serving Emerging Professionals at the development stages of their careers. In recognition of this milestone, leaders from all levels of the Architectural profession will gather for the YAF20 Summit to examine issues effecting young Architects today. Join us at Grassroots Conference for an interactive presentation detailing the outcomes identified during the YAF20 Summit. Nurturing Emerging Professionals is key to the long term future of the profession. Learn strategies for communicating and engaging Emerging Professionals in your component.

Learning Objectives1. Identify the importance of support for Emerging Professionals and how local components have developed programs to provide this support.2. Learn about successful programs being implemented around the country to strengthen and support Emerging Professionals as they establish themselves in their careers.3. Compare and contrast how Emerging Professionals view the challenges for the future.4. Discover how to communicate and engage with Emerging Professionals in your component.

Full Program Abstract“Young Architects” are defined as those licensed ten years or

less. This demographic consists of more than 40% of all licensed, AIA members. This year the YAF celebrates its 20th anniversary.

In recognition of this milestone, the YAF Advisory Committee has organized the YAF 20 Summit, a Grassroots preconference session, to bring together leaders from all levels of the Architectural profession to reflect, learn and celebrate from 20 years of achievements of the YAF. The Summit will serve as a forum for attendees to engage in a dialogue about issues facing young Architects and the future of the profession. Some of the top issues include: mentoring, leadership, career advancement, work/life balance, public awareness and relevance of licensed Architects, collaboration and integrated practice, and the long term effects of the poor economy.

Our proposed Grassroots session will feature select YAF leaders who participated in the YAF 20 Summit. We will outline the top issues affecting young Architects and other key outcomes from the Summit. The presenters will then discuss best practices for support of young Architects and other Emerging Professionals. We will also provide examples of programming and strategies for communicating and engaging Emerging Professionals at the local components. The dialog will continue with an interactive discussion between a moderator, presenters, and the audience.

Indiana, Louisiana, and South Carolina? Where's NYC, LA, Boston, and Portland? Perhaps they are targeting the "heartland" of America, but there are more obvious places that have a good young market. And why are they founders of companies or people with 16 years of experience? I'm just not sure if this justifies the "young." And the articles don't have to be 100% about direct architecture. What about the latest ipad/phone app that's useful to the field? There's tons of interests that we all share. Tap into that. Break that AIA mold. Overall I'd say it is interesting. Unfortunately, there are other journals that grab my limited attention a bit better. Couldn’t have said it better… Well, as you said the term young needs to be redefined, also architecture. I feel that for our generation the career path is a bit broader than in the past. I have friends who have 2 or so years of experience [of course paired with an awesome education] and already have their own firms in NYC, struggling but doing really interesting stuff. That’s pretty young to me. Also, another question would be: is this publication addressing the Houston market, or does it attempt to be more comprehensive… I think everyone's idea of having this in a blog format would be beneficial. I can tell you that it will take a long time before I get around to reading an attachment like this, but if I can subscribe to it in Google Reader, I'll at least peruse it every day.

Send your letters to the editor at [email protected].

THEMES FOR 2012 YAF CONNECTIONIssue 10.01 January Scale in ArchitectureIssue 10.02 March Imagery in ArchitectureIssue 10.03 May Design ExpressionIssue 10.04 July Neighborhood ArchitectureIssue 10.05 September TravelIssue 10.06 November Green Building

2011 AIA YOUNG ARCHITECTS AWARD BOOK AVAILABLE TO PURCHASEYAF has published a book as a compilation of the work and achievements of this year's AIA Young Architects Award winners. To order your copy, visit lulu.com and search "AIA 2011 Young Architects Award", or go to this link:www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/aia-2011-young-architects-award/10503669

By Deepika Padam, AIA

Deepika Padam, AIA, LEED AP bd+c is the Communications Advisor for the National AIA Young Architects Forum. Brought up in India and a graduate of University of Michigan, she is a Senior Designer and Project Manager with Heller Manus Architects based in San Francisco, California.

WHAT HAS CAUGHT your attention lately? With information

overload from journals, books, blogs and social media, it can

get challenging to filter objects of our interest. It gets easier

when something catches your eye, jumps out at you. Personal

preferences and subjectivity of design cause the variation in what

one might find to be ‘successful’ architecture. The question of

purpose of architecture, and how the buildings serve the people

and communities eventually drive the success as we delve deeper

into the varied approaches to design and construction. But there is

something to be said of that one moment when something jumps

at you as an outstanding project, a force that begs your attention

following that love at first sight.

I fall in love almost every day. I am sure a lot of us do without

always realizing it. Our “type” may be different, but we are all lovers

of architecture for sticking to the profession through thick and thin.

What defines your type? Do you have a type? Does size really matter?

As we pose the question of what catches one’s attention, the

scale of projects may range from cities, urban parks, central business

districts, high rises, mixed-use complexes, corporate or commercial

buildings, and residential neighborhoods to single family homes. I

shuffled through the recent history of my blog in pursuit of what

caught my eye in the year 2011. I was surprised to see a pattern in

the scale of the projects that intrigued me. They are little jewels,

either set within nature or have a strong tie with landscape whence

it is difficult to define whether they are interventions, architecture

or landscape architecture. My words may not do the justice, so to

be concise I will get right into my favorite projects from 2011 and

urge you to check them out. You might find yourself as much in love

as me!

Editor's NoteSCALE IN ARCHITECTURE

Roadside Reststop Akkarvikodden

Lofoten, Norway

By Manthey Kula Architects

(via designboom.com)

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/17960/manthey-kula-architects-roadside-reststop-akkarvikodden.html





07

Waldseilgarten Mountain Resort

Pfronten, Bavaria in Germany

(via gizmag.com)

Dovecote Studio

Snape, Suffolk, England

By Haworth Tompkins

(via designrulz.com)

Ornithological Observatory

Logroño, Spain

By Manuel Fonseca Gallego

(via landezine.com)












Banyan Drive Treehouse

Los Angeles, CA

By Rockefeller Partners Architects

(via architecture4us.com)

Marilyn Moyer Meditation Chapel

Portland, OR

By EVA Architecture

(via evapdx.com)

Sunken Pedestrian Bridge

Netherlands

By RO & AD Architects

(via inhabitat.com)

Seljord Lookout Points

Bjørgeøyan, Seljord, Norway

By Rintala Eggertsson Architects

(via architizer.com)














09

Banyan Drive Treehouse

Los Angeles, CA

By Rockefeller Partners Architects

(via architecture4us.com)

Seljord Lookout Points

Bjørgeøyan, Seljord, Norway

By Rintala Eggertsson Architects


Rollercoaster

Beijing, China

By Interval Architects


National Museum of the Marine Corps

Quantico, Virginia

By Fentress Architects

(via archdaily.com)













and designers all across the globe still want to go out on their own and

see their work realized. For so many of them, there are very few ways

to get that first project, and frankly most young architects’ only idea

for how to launch a practice is to win a design competition. I agree

with Charles Holland who recently wrote a popular blog post stating

that competitions are “massively wasteful of your time and resources.”

(Fantastic Journal, September 1, 2010, Charles Holland, “Dear Other

Architects.” http://fantasticjournal.blogspot.com/2010/09/dear-other-

architects.html) Perhaps even more troublesome is the vacuum that

they create for the designer. Competitions create an environment

that is completely independent of the (wonderfully useful) messy

constraints of making real architecture, and they rarely offer the

designer any accountability for defining the design problem.

Instead of pursuing design competitions, architects should be mining their own communities for design problems, getting to know their local leaders, and growing a real practice- with work constrained only by their imagination and their abilities to navigate the realities of realizing work.

This approach doesn’t only pertain to prospective young

practices. In fact more and more, I’ve realized that some of the

architects and practices that I admire most have done just this to

establish, grow or sustain their own practices. They don’t just sit

around waiting for the phone to ring. Instead, they are hustling-

dreaming up new projects and not taking NO for an answer.

For example, I recently heard a story about Tadao Ando who

tried to convince the mayor of Osaka to build an underground civic

center that he had dreamt up- he and his staff would show up at

the mayor’s office every week unannounced, trying to convince

the mayor to build it. Similarly, in June, Architect ran an article on

BIG that included a description of a mixed-use project that they

invented and then pitched to the newly elected mayor to try to get

it built. (Mark Lamster, “Up, up and away,” Architect Magazine, June

20, 2011. http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/up-up-and-

away.aspx) And in the early 90’s Rem Koolhas toured the country

to promote his SMLXL book, noting that at the time there wasn’t

enough work to support their firm, so they developed the book to

By Marc Teer, AIA

Marc is an architect at Gensler in Chicago, an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Founder of Black Spectacles- the world’s first online library of software courses designed exclusively for architects.

PerspectiveU N - C O M P E T I T I O N

PROJECT: How to Start a Firm

How to Start a Firm in our Generation’s Worst Economic Climate:

The Un-Competition Project

THERE IS A fantasy that is perpetuated as we come out of

school that suggests it is admirable, noble and possible to launch

a practice by winning design competitions. Many young architects

and designers admire this direction because some of our most

highly celebrated architects have pursued this precise path- only to

realize their work much later in their career.

This is backwards. Architects should instead start out by going into their own communities, searching for design problems to solve, and offering their solutions.

After up to six years in school and tens of thousands of dollars,

architects are really well trained at identifying problems through

their ability to think critically, and we are really good at coming up

with compelling solutions to these problems. But the purpose of

these skills is usually not for discovering design projects; instead

they are intended for working within a pre-defined project. There

are two important opportunities that are missed when we assume

that these highly trained eyes are only for solving design problems.

First, our communities lose out. If the only people looking for

design problems to solve in our communities are developers or

governmental organizations- our communities are losing out. So

often, the project and all of its opportunities come to the architect

in a nice box with a note on it saying, “please make this box pretty.”

Most if not all of the opportunities to redefine/re-characterize the

project are gone. The truth is that identifying and defining a design

project is just as much of a design exercise as solving the design

project itself. Yet business and financial people are the ones who are

out looking for “design opportunities,” and they rarely have design-

minded folks helping them search. If instead, architects are out in

their communities identifying design problems that need solving,

then we can have a much more profound impact on the built

environment.

Secondly, architects lose out. Everyone knows its hard to run

a practice these days, not to mention start one, but architects

http://fantasticjournal.blogspot.com/2010/09/dear-other-architects.html

http://fantasticjournal.blogspot.com/2010/09/dear-other-architects.html

http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/up-up-and-away.aspx

http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/up-up-and-away.aspx


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http://www.blackspectacles.com/?p=847

keep their firm afloat. It is this design-entrepreneurship that is

inspiring yet rarely talked about in our profession.

So with the help and support of the Chicago Architectural

Club, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and AIA Chicago, I

developed and launched The Un-Competition Project to shine a

light on design entrepreneurs across the globe. It asks designers

who have gone out into their communities, identified a design

problem, solved it, and figured out how to get it built to create a short

documentary of their project. These projects will be considered by

an international jury that includes architects and designers who

have founded their own firms: Gregg Pasquarelli (Shop Architects),

Mark Sexton (Krueck & Sexton), Mark Schendel (Studio Gang), Julie

Hacker (Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects), and Karla Sierralta &

Brian Strawn (Strawn.Sierralta). It also includes Behance co-founder

Matias Coreo, IDEO Senior Designer Lawrence Abrahamson, and

Cristiano Ceccato (Zaha Hadid Architects).

Entries to The Un-Competition Project do not take the

traditional form of physical or digital presentation boards, but are

required to be two-minute video documentaries that are then

posted to Black Spectacles’ Facebook page. The intent is to create

a collection of stories celebrating design entrepreneurship that can

be shared among members of the design community and that will

provide inspiration and mentorship for architects and designers of

all ages.

Following the Un-Competition Project, the Chicago

Architectural Club (CAC) is developing an event called “Build On:

Inspiration and Knowledge for Making Entrepreneurial Ideas

Happen.” The event will feature a description and announcement of

the winners of the Un-Competition Project and as the centerpiece,

the CAC will solicit members of the design community to bring their

un-realized entrepreneurial ideas to the event for feedback and

discussion with the jury and audience, with the hope of inspiring

and enabling members of the architectural and design community

to make their ideas happen.

In many ways The Un-Competition Project and Build On, are about celebrating architects and designers who are doing more than coming up with great ideas; they are acting upon them. Like Behance co-founder Scott Belsky writes, “Ideas

are worthless if you can’t make them happen.” (Scott Belsky, Making

Ideas Happen (London, Penguin, 2010), 8.) We need to change the

mentality that architects should be honing their design skills in the

vacuum of ideas competitions. Instead, we need to get out into

our communities and take action on our ideas- and as Bruce Mau

recently put it- “get in the game.” (Bruce Mau, “You Can do Better,”

Architect Magazine, January 3, 2011. http://www.architectmagazine.

com/architects/you-can-do-better.aspx)

http://www.blackspectacles.com/?p=847

http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/you-can-do-better.aspx

http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/you-can-do-better.aspx


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By Steven R. Dwyer, AIA

Steven Dwyer, AIA, LEED AP is an Associate Vice-President at Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc. (HGA) and practices as a Senior Project Designer focusing on work in arts, community and education. He has been an active member of AIA Minnesota’s Committee on Design and AIA MN's Architecture Minnesota.

DesignB IGELOW CHAPEL :Un i t ed Theo logy Sem inary o f t he Tw in C i t i es

medieval cathedrals. Furthermore, we studied modern buildings for

insight, such as the beautiful use of light in Steven Holl’s Chapel of

St. Ignatius at Seattle University, among other spaces.

Thinking beyond strictly Christian architectural solutions, the team sought to create a sense of spirituality through a trinity of qualities: intimacy, warmth, and light. We began to give structural forms to these three qualities through

Building Information modeling. As with every project, we began our

design process in three dimensions, studying scale, context and form

through a series of models that become progressively more detailed

as the design evolved. “Part of the process was to understand how

forms, shapes and massing related to the surrounding 1960s brick

buildings,” Joan says. Once we developed an exterior language

that worked with the campus, we moved to an interior exploration

through models to create a sense of intimacy and spirituality.

Early interior models suggested wrapping the sanctuary in

straight-edged wood panels to create an intimate scale. In further

modeling, the panels evolved into six curving forms that stretch up

and down the sanctuary’s interior glass curtain wall on the west side,

across the ceiling and then to the other side. The curving panels

intimated a warmer interior character that helped diffuse light.

From modeling, we moved into a research and development

phase with John Cook, who articulated how the building was

constructed. The wood panels, for instance, involved intensive

technical finesse to convert to reality. A single big-leaf maple log

from the Pacific Northwest provided the primary source. After

researching the technical expertise of different mills, the team first

shipped the log to a German mill where it was peeled and sliced into

1/32-inch-thick veneer strips. From there, the log went to another

mill in Indiana, where the strips were glued together. Finally, the

team worked with a Minnesota-based millwork company to laminate

the strips within a sandwich of 1/8-inch-thick acrylic to protect the

wood from degradation. Exterior material also involved extensive

research and development. Soranno wanted the look of Italian

stone, but knew the actual material would be costly. Instead, we

ordered 50 Italian stone pieces as samples for a prototype material.

THE BIGELOW CHAPEL answers the client’s request for spiritual

space that could serve all faiths on this multi-denominational

campus. Clad in textured stone and infused with warm interior light,

the chapel has become the architectural focus of an unassuming

campus that lacked a separate chapel throughout its history. In

addition to offering a spiritual sanctuary for students and faculty,

the chapel has reached out to the larger community as a “spiritual

invitation to worship,” according to the client’s request.

Since its founding 44 years ago, the Theological Seminary of

the Twin Cities had occupied simple brick buildings on its small

suburban Minneapolis campus. A classroom building, library,

administration building and dormitory comprised the facilities

for 225students representing a diversity of faiths. The seminary

utilized a multipurpose room as its improvised chapel. When

a former student donated $1 million for a new worship space,

seminary president Wilson Yates initiated a fund-raising campaign

to complete a $3.1 million chapel that would add a new kind of

experience to campus. He asked for a flexible, “spiritual” space that

would be warm, intimate and accommodating to different worship

styles. “We wanted a chapel that would convey the transcendence,

mystery, and power of God,” Yates said.

The 5,300 SF, single-story building, which connects to an

existing classroom building on a $3.1 million budget, includes a

2,200 SF sanctuary with flexible seating, narthex, processional hall,

two gardens on the north and south end, a 42-foot bell tower and a

chaplain’s office/mechanical wing.

Under the design leadership of Joan Soranno we began the

Bigelow Chapel design process through Research Immersion.

We sought to learn everything possible about the client, context,

history, and culture. We spent time on the campus talking with

administrators, faculty, students, and community members. Our

team (Soranno and me) did extensive research on the seminary’s

primary affiliation, The United Church of Christ, as well as other

denominations represented on campus. We also looked for

inspiration in other churches. We paid close attention to how the

use of light and shadows created intimacy within the grandeur of


15

They cast the samples into molds, and then developed additives and a color base to create 4,000 precast-concrete panels that resemble the

original stone’s warm textures and nuances.

Clad in custom precast panels, the chapel sits horizontally on its site. A 42-foot-high bell tower at the south end creates a vertical counterpoint

that meets the library’s height across a rolling lawn. A glass curtain wall, with a rhythmic pattern of vertical glass fins that recalls masonry fins on

existing buildings, defines the western façade.

Inside the sanctuary, the translucent maple panels radiate warmth while the curving wood frame wraps visitors in a gentle embrace to

create an intimate environment for reflection and prayer. The interior/exterior glass fins further diffuse light from the curtain wall and skylights,

introducing a weightless quality. A processional hall, open to the sanctuary, spans the building’s length along the eastern side. Light streaming

through clerestory windows further infuses the interior, while maple floors and quilted-maple ceiling panels reinforce the tranquil interior.

Because many visitors seek spiritual uplift in nature itself, we positioned two large windows within the sanctuary. A south window frames a

meditation garden and a single muscle-wood tree, while a north window frames a white oak tree. The lawn between the chapel and library serves

as a third garden.

“When guests walk through the chapel and suddenly get to the sanctuary, everyone becomes silent. They are truly touched or moved by the

space itself. Inevitably they say, ‘this is truly a holy space. I could worship in this space.’”—Wilson Yates, President, United Theological Seminary of

the Twin Cities.


All images by Paul Warchol. All renderings by Steven Dwyer.

CORN

ER O

UT-R

IGGE

R A

5 1/2” WALL PANEL TRACK LOCATION

(4) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETAL SCREWS THROUGH TRACK, CORNER OUT- RIGGER, AND INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP.

1/2” x 6” STUDS, WELDED ALL AROUND

(6) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETAL SCREWS THROUGH CORNER OUT-RIGGER, TRACK AND INTO WALLSIP PANEL, TYP.

(8) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETALSCREWS THROUGH CORNER OUT-RIGGER, INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL,TYP.

GALV. 14 GA BRAKE METAL

3 1/2” SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL

GALV. 11 GA GUSSETT, 3 1/2” X 3 1/2”, W/(3) 3/4” FILLET WELDS EACH LEG.

PANE

L OUT

-RIG

GER


(4) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETAL SCREWS THROUGH TRACK, PANEL OUT-RIGGER, AND INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP.


(6) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETAL SCREWS THROUGH PANEL OUT-RIGGER, TRACK AND INTO WALLSIP PANEL, TYP.

(8) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETALSCREWS THROUGH PANEL OUT-RIGGER, INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP.



CENT

RAL P

ANEL

SUP

PORT

(8) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETAL SCREWS THROUGH CENTRAL PANELSUPPORT, AND INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP.


JOINT BETWEEN (2) SUBFLOORPANELS



(8) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETAL SCREWS THROUGH CENTRAL PANELSUPPORT, AND INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP.

CORN

ER O

UT-R

IGGE

R B

(3) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETAL SCREWS THROUGH CORNER OUT-RIGGER, AND INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP.

(2) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETAL SCREWS THROUGH CORNER OUT-RIGGER, AND INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP.


(8) #10 DRILL POINT SHEETMETALSCREWS THROUGH CORNER OUT-RIGGER, INTO SUBFLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP.



4’-0” x 12’-0” Structural Insulated Panels, typical; as provided by Transcon Steel▼

PANEL TYPE P1, TYP

PANEL TYPE P2, TYP

4

1.1 DRIVE FIBERGLASS PILES1.2 LEVEL-CUT PILES

FOU

NDA

TIO

N

2.1 INSTALL LATERAL PILE TIES2.2 ERECT SCAFFOLDING FOR PANEL CENTER SUPPORT

SLAB

SU

PPO

RTS

SIP

BRID

GIN

GIN

SULA

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N

4.1 INSTALL STRUCTURAL INSULATED WALL PANEL TRACKS4.2 PLACE CNC-CUT POLYSTYRENE INSULATED FORMWORK BLOCKS ON SIP SUB-FLOOR

fig. 3b - PANEL OUTRIGGER

fig. 3c - CENTRAL PANEL SUPPORT fig. 3d - CORNER OUTRIGGER B

fig. 3a - CORNER OUTRIGGER A

Foundation pilings for housing in marine and coastal conditions have traditionally been

composed of wood, steel, or concrete, but each of these materials prove ill-suited to the exposures

to moisture, saline, and other coastal conditions. For instance, wood pilings not only rot, but may

contain harmful preservatives that leach into the water; steel pilings corrode by rusting which

may also contaminate the water, harming the coastal ecologies unnecessarily. While reinforced

concrete is robust and provides the most enduring foundation, moisture can permeate through the

concrete to the internal rebar, causing corrosion, spalling the concrete away, and ultimately

deteriorating the structural integrity of the piling.

The driDOCK elevated foundation system, on the other hand, utilizes fiberglass pilings that

are resistant to mold, rot, rust, and fire; are impervious to insects, pests, and destructive

marine growth; do not corrode or leach harmful chemicals into the surroundings, so they are

environmentally friendly; and they not only last a lifetime, but are virtually maintenance-free.

A NEW CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM for GULF COAST RECOVERY HOUSING and SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY of the GALVESTON GREEN BUILD

3.2 BRIDGE SUB-FLOOR PANELS BWTEEN LATERAL TIES AND CENTER SCAFFOLD SUPPORT3.3 INSTALL WALL PANEL SUPPORTS AND OUTRIGGERS

1

2

3

SHOTGUN




24’-0” TYPICAL

Galveston Green Build :A New Paradigm in the Construction of Coastal

Housing

The Galveston Green Build is a new construction system for elevated Gulf Coast housing, in times of recovery and

otherwise.

Utilizing pre-fabricated construction technologies, means and methods, including

driDOCK ©, a proprietary elevated foundation system, the Galveston Green

Build project functions as a kit-of-parts that, combined with local resources, can provide

for efficient and economical construction of low-income housing … housing that can withstand the environmental conditions of

5 1/2” WALL PANEL TRACK LOCATION3 1/2” SUB-FLOOR SIP PANEL1/2” x 6” MTL STUDS, WELDED-ALL-AROUND

GALV 11GA GUSSET, 3 1/2” x 3 1/2”, w/ (3) 3/4” FILLET WELD, EA LEG

(6) #10 DRILL-PT SHEETMTL SCREWS THRU CORNER OUTRIGGER, TRACK, AND INTO WALL SIP PANEL, TYP

GALV 14GA BRAKE MTL

(4) #10 DRILL-PT SHEETMTL SCREWS THRU CORNER OUTRIGGER, TRACK, AND INTO SUB-FLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP

(8) #10 DRILL-PT SHEETMTL SCREWS THRU CORNER OUTRIGGER AND INTO SUB-FLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP

1/2 x 6” STUDS, WELDED-ALL-AROUND

(4) #10 DRILL-PT SHEETMTL SCREWS THRU TRACK, PANEL OUTRIGGER, AND INTO SUB-FLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP


(6) #10 DRILL-PT SHEETMTL SCREWS THRU PANEL OUTRIGGER, TRACK, AND INTO WALL SIP PANEL, TYP

3 1/2” SUB-FLOOR SIP PANEL

(8) #10 DRILL-PT SHEETMTL SCREWS THRU PANEL OUTRIGGER AND INTO SUB-FLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP

GALV 14GA BRAKE MTL

1/2” x 6” STUDS, WELDED-ALL-AROUND

(8) #10 DRILL-PT SHEETMTL SCREWS THRU CENTRAL PANEL SUPPORT AND INTO SUB-FLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP

JOINT BETWEEN (2) SUB-FLOOR PANELS


GALV 14GA BRAKE MTL

(8) #10 DRILL-PT SHEETMTL SCREWS THRU CENTRAL PANEL SUPPORT AND INTO SUB-FLOOR SIP PANEL, TYP

1/2” x 6” STUDS, WELDED-ALL-AROUND

GALV 14GA BRAKE MTL




PILING YOKE TIE TEMPORARY SCAFFOLDING

WOOD PILE TIES

STRUCTURAL INSULATED SUB-FLOOR PANEL

INSULATED FORMWORK BLOCKS

WALL PANEL TRACKS

3.1 INSTALL STRUCTURAL INSULATED SUB-FLOOR PANELS

The most ironic and most disheartening similarity between the Galveston hurricane of 1900 and the recent hurricane Ike is that the means and methods of constructing housing on the Island has changed very little during that century; even today, it remains largely assembled stick-by-stick.

University of HoustonGerald D. Hines College of ArchitectureGreen Bulding Components

ELEVATED FOUNDATION

driDOCK


17

By Wyatt Frantom, AIA

Wyatt Frantom, AIA, LEED AP served as the 2010-11 Texas Regional Liaison of the AIA Young Architects Forum. Wyatt resides in West Hollywood and is an Architectural Designer with Gensler LA while independently pursuing Fabricated Modular Building Systems and Applied Research in Design.

ConstructionTHE VENTURE -FUNDED PROFESS ION

since before the ‘Machine Age’ (Theory and Design in the First

Machine Age, Reyner Banham). What may have first been put into

manifesto by Walter Gropius at his 1920s Bauhaus, was championed

by the likes of Charles and Ray Eames and Jean Prouve’, and has been

enthusiastically preached by most generations of architects since.

But architectural students of recent years have seen the promise of

bringing concept-to-market firsthand through their own purchase

of reasonably-priced, mass-produced home implements; from

colanders to garlic presses, orange zest graters to toilet brushes all

designed for ‘bigger’-box brand Target by architect Michael Graves.

Whatever the provocation in recent years, the premise of

‘Intellectualizing Property’ for the built environment has never been

more accepted as general rule by architects.

One of the more dramatically successful recent ventures is

the University of Houston Green Building Components (UHGBC),

an initiative within the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture.

The mission of the Green Building Components program is to design, develop, and commercialize green building components and systems across architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) Industries, thereby increasing the presence of sustainable technology in the built environment. Dramatic because, since its inception two short years ago, the

program has produced 20 market-ready products; a handful of

which are already on shelves.

As recipients of venture-capital and granted endowments,

more academic programs like the UHGBC are beginning to function

commercially, offering an ideation process unlike any that could be

found in the industrial sector by taking unique advantage of the

multi-disciplinary synergies within the University setting. At the

University of Houston, that includes the Colleges of Technology,

Engineering and Business; culminating in a process that folds

architecture into marketing, industrial design and mercantile

manufacturing into business management. Under the formative

leadership of Joe Meppelink, director of the UHGBC, the program

has been generously supported by the Houston Endowment, the

Meadows Foundation, as well as independent industries seeking a

CREATING MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ENGINES FOR INCUBATING NEXT

GENERATION SOLUTIONS

With world markets teetering towards potential penultimate

upset, world banks finding themselves ironically ‘bankrupt’, the

term ‘welfare state’ taking on new meaning as one country is

bailed-out and deficit-indebted to others, countries standing rife

with unemployment, and movements like the Tea Party, Occupy

Wall Street, and Arab Spring serving as evidence of the growing

unrest in many cultures and countries… Throw into that mix recent

(seemingly) globally-escalating natural disasters, and the Mayan

mythos of counting-down towards absolute Armageddon on

December 21, 2012 becomes ever more convincing.

Regardless of what one may believe, however, one cannot deny

that we do, in fact, live in difficult times and times that are made all

the more difficult by virtue of there being more of us living in them.

There are more than 7-billion human beings populating our planet;

and this alone increases our combined risk to the catastrophic

impacts of the natural disasters mentioned.

In these, among other ways, our mode of human living is

unsustainable. As they say, we are ‘living outside of our means’.

Yet, necessity truly is the mother of invention and in the

realm of the built environment, need is pushing architects to

engage in the world around us like never before. The increased

need for housing in general, not to mention disaster-relief and

low-income, is a dark reality of our profession today. The need for

habitation beyond lowest-common-denominator, code-stunted,

and thought-fixed shelters is spurring invention into new building

products, prompting innovation into fabrication technologies and

construction techniques … and ultimately providing real solutions

to those very real needs.

The University of Houston Green Building Components – Poised

to Re-Fabricate the Built Environment

It’s been eight short years since the publication of refabricating

ARCHITECTURE by Kieran-Timberlake, but then, the tenets of

democratizing good design has been the aspiration of architects

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FORM

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fig. 8a - INSTALL WALL PANELS fig. 8b - INSTALL ROOF AND EAVE PANELS

5.1 INSTALL WOOD FORMWORK AND PERIMETER BRACING

6.1 POUR CONCRETE OVER POLYSTYRENE BLOCK FORMWORK6.2 REMOVE WOOD FORMWORK AND RE-USE

5

6

7

8

6.3.2 - PERIMETER SECTION

PAN

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SIDE PORCH WIDE PORCH







fig 5.1.1CUT-AWAY PILING:Footing Sleeve w/ Insulated Formwork and Reinforcing

▼

3SCAFFOLDING CAN BE LEASED FOR USE IN SINGLE UNIT PRODUCTION OR PURCHASED FOR RE-USE IN MULTIPLE UNITS, AMORTIZING THE COST OVER VOLUME

WOOD FORMWORK CAN BE RE-USED AS PERMANENT WALL BACKING WHERE APPLICABLE AND/OR UP-CYCLED AS A FINISH MATERIAL IN THE UNIT

WOOD FORMWORK

POURED, REINFORCED ELEVATED CONCRETE SLAB, DIAMOND POLISH FINISH

GALVESTON BUILD

GREEN

fig 6.1.1CUT-AWAY PILING: Reinforced Concrete Footing

▼

5 1/2” TRANSCON STRUCTURAL INSULATED WALL PANEL

POURED CONCRETE

11” EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE, R-55

3 1/2” TRANSCONPANEL, R-16

SCHEDULED SIDING1/2” X 6” STUDS

WOOD FORMWORK REMAINS AS PERMANENT PANEL BACKING AT WALLS

POROUS DRAINAGE MEMBRANE

12GA STEEL

10” O.D. FIBERGLASS PEARSON PILING

#3 REBAR

FOAM / STEEL DAM INSERTED IN PILINGS TO STOP CONCRETE FLOW

Shaded “TAB” indicates depth of Wall Panel “Docking” to Foundation▼

The driDOCK elevated foundation system, much like the structural underbody of your automobile, serves as a chassis for a variety of potential architectural “makes and models”; literally providing the foundation for flexible floor plans and a design customized to your preferences.

THE STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS ARE INHERENTLY LIGHT-WEIGHT AND SIZED IN ORDER TO BE MANAGED BY ONE PERSON

ONCE SEATED IN THE WALL TRACK, THE PANELS ARE MANUALLY HOISTED TO VERTICAL AND ANCHORED WITHIN THE SLAB-TO-SILL “DOCKING” DEPTH

THE PANELS ARE THEN JOINED IN PLANE BY A TOP-TRACK FASTENING

ELEVATED FOUNDATION

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19

almost 25-percent of the city’s population, died.

Hurricane Ike made landfall in the same month, September,

of 2008. While the Galveston Seawall protected the City from

storm wave attack, the Island was flooded by a storm surge that

is reported to have reached 20-feet in some areas. Any loss of life

would have been beyond measure, but more than 75-percent of

the structures in the community were damaged as a direct result of

the storm, leaving approximately 1,400 families displaced from their

homes and from their livelihoods; and resulting in more than 29,000

requests for Individual Assistance from FEMA to rebuild. Hurricane

Ike had become the third costliest storm to ever make landfall in the

United States.

Because of the extent of the damage, it had been estimated that

a substantial number of homes required total rehabilitation in order

to be livable and, in many other cases, were abandoned outright.

The City of Galveston’s adopted International Residential Code

required that any residential structure sustaining damages in excess

of 50-percent of the building’s pre-disaster improvement value must

be razed or replaced; what would be, if fully enforced, a harsh blow

to a city so defined by its historic and vernacular architecture.

The most ironic, and more so disheartening, similarity between

these two catastrophic storms is that the means and methodologies

for constructing housing on the Island had changed very little

during the period between them. And the housing, currently being

erected today, remains assembled largely as it was a century ago,

‘stick-by-stick’.

To apply DriDOCK©, just add water.

A year after Ike made landfall, in September of 2009, I joined the

UHGBC initiative as a research assistant professor; having formerly

served as a Design Studio Lecturer within the College and having

been invited to join the program by long-time friend and colleague,

and UHGBC Director, Joe Meppelink.

That year, our research team (comprised of myself, Joe

Meppelink, and student research assistant Juan de Leon) would

work jointly to develop a housing prototype for the nearby island

of Galveston, in the context of a city that had hardly yet begun to

rebuild in the aftermath of Ike.

The Galveston Green Build project would also be largely based

upon the research and development of prefabricated housing

systems that Joe and I had collaborated upon over the prior six-

years. Teaming up at times with other designers (Onezieme Mouton,

Adam Janusz), that prior work had been physically prototyped,

exhibited, published, and ultimately garnered several awards;

having been showcased in a number of home design iterations,

including the FRAMEwork© house and the dogTROT©, with patent-

pending building assembly components such as the SCREWjack©,

design-based approach to innovation through such a public-private

partnership.

These are partnerships that are becoming big business,

such as the awarding of a $1.35 million contract from the City of

Houston for 17-units of one such UHGBC product, The SPACE (an

acronym for ‘Solar Powered Adaptive Containers for Everyone’)

container. About a year-and-a-half ago, Meppelink’s research team

and industry collaborators (Metalab, Harvest Moon Development,

ttweak), responded to and won an RFQ from the City of Houston

for mobile solar generators for hurricane response. In the case of

those purchased by the City of Houston, the SPACE containers

will serve in the emergency relief and recovery efforts of natural

disasters. “The next time we have a big power outage like those

experienced during hurricane Ike,” states Meppelink, “the solar

powered containers will be deployed around the city to provide

off-grid, stable power for emergency medical supplies, emergency

equipment, communications and so on.”

“We view it as a mobile field office.” Meppelink adds, “ … with

3.5-kilowatt photovoltaic arrays and battery storage, the SPACE

containers are about two to two-and-a-half times more powerful

than any solar generator we’ve seen with a comparable footprint.”

And that’s the real invention of the SPACE container, an articulating

racking system that allows the solar array to fold flat to a 16-inch

profile on top of the container, allowing it to pass under freeway

bridge clearances. Given their portability, the SPACE containers

could be deployed by helicopter, crane-truck or a slide-off trailer

up-and-operating in 20 minutes. When not fulfilling their primary

function of relief and recovery, however, the SPACE containers serve

the purpose of supporting neighborhood centers, fire stations, city

parks and Houston’s school districts.

Products such as the SPACE container and other UHGBC

projects (see more at www.uhgbc.org) are not defaulting to a check-

the-box approach to developing and teaching sustainable design

but are developing the next generation of sustainable building

materials and components through solutions to real world issues.

And the student researchers participating in the projects are not only

learning what it means to bring a product-to-market or managing

intellectual property, but are more importantly recognizing that

engagement with the world-at-large is essential to truly provide for

its needs.

Galveston Green Build – A New Paradigm in the Construction of

Coastal Housing

In September of 1900, Galveston was in the eye of a hurricane

that is still considered the worst natural disaster in U.S. history when

measured by human loss of life. In one night, 8,000 people, what was

and destructive marine growth; and do not corrode or seep

harmful chemicals into the surroundings. The pilings are not

only environmentally friendly in this regard, but virtually last a

maintenance-free lifetime.

While a vernacular appearance was given to the Galveston

Green Build prototype home, purposefully so, the system’s

modularity allows each home to be customized with degrees of

variation in overall footprint, floor plan configuration, and of course

in their architectural treatment. Much like the structural underbody

of your automobile, the driDOCK© serves as a chassis for a variety

of potential architectural “makes and models”; literally providing the

foundation for a design customized to the owner’s preferences.

The Galveston Green Build project utilizing the driDOCK©

system has been permitted to construct a three-bedroom, two-bath,

1200 SF housing prototype in Galveston which will serve as both a

model home and community resource center for assisting residents

in obtaining one of these homes through the city and/or federal

relief efforts. As the recent benefactor of an independent land grant

on the Island, the Galveston Green Build is now actively meeting

with potential building partners in the effort towards realization.

So as we countdown through 2012 … I venture to say that we

will remain faced with similarly challenging economic tribulations

and tragic natural disasters to those experienced in recent years.

As other interpretations of the Mayan’s prophetic parables

suggest, a more optimistic turn of events may be predicted upon the

‘end date’ … one of enlightenment. If nothing else, that’s something

worth believing in.

CLIPlock©, and SMARTframe© among others.

What would be developed for the Galveston Green Build

initiative was a new construction system for elevated Gulf Coast

housing, in times of recovery and otherwise. The concept of

elevated coastal housing wasn’t itself a paradigm shift, but the

use of pre-fabricated construction technologies and means and

methods in that area was. The Galveston Green Build system, non-

traditionally, functions as a kit-of-parts that, combined with local

resources, can provide for efficient and economical construction

of low-income housingand housing that can withstand the distinct

environmental conditions of the Gulf Coast. But the real invention

of the ideation process was the driDOCK© system, a proprietary

elevated foundation system.

Foundation pilings for housing in marine and coastal conditions

have traditionally been composed of wood, steel, or concrete, but

each of these materials have proven ill-suited to the exposure of

moisture, saline, and other coastal conditions. For instance, wood

pilings not only rot, but may contain harmful preservatives that

leach into the water; steel pilings corrode by rusting which may

also contaminate the coast or water table within which it is placed,

harming the coastal ecologies unnecessarily. While reinforced

concrete is robust and provides the most enduring foundation,

moisture can with time permeate through the concrete to the

internal rebar, causing corrosion, spalling-away the concrete, and

ultimately deteriorating the structural integrity of the piling.

The driDOCK© elevated foundation system, on the other

hand, utilizes fiberglass piling assemblies that are resistant

to mold, rot, rust, and fire; are impervious to insects, pests,

YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

HAVE SOMETHINGTO SAY?

WE’RE LISTENINGTAKE OUR SURVEY AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY THINK

Click here to complete the YAF survey for a chance to WIN A TRIPto join us at the YAF Summit in Washington DC on March 6 - 7!

YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

HAVE SOMETHINGTO SAY?

WE’RE LISTENINGTAKE OUR SURVEY AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY THINK

Click here to complete the YAF survey for a chance to WIN A TRIPto join us at the YAF Summit in Washington DC on March 6 - 7!


21

By Alexander Lungershausen, AIA

As a Senior Associate, Alexander Lungershausen, AIA covers all architectural needs at THA Architecture from project architecture and special office research to the assembly of Specifications. He is based in Portland, OR.

Book Review“SUCCESS BY DES IGN”by Jenn Kennedy

coversheet promises.

This is one of those books you wished you had when you

started out in this profession. I would definitely recommend this

read to anyone who is playing with the idea of starting a practice

as it, beyond the aforementioned, also greatly alleviates the fears

of the unknowns of running “the” business. It will give you plenty

of inspiring encouragement to follow your heart and to develop a

business in this very competitive market.

Check out www.architectsuccess.com, for testimonials and

some teasers as well as a link to a YouTube compilation which offers

a great visual on three of the heroes of this great compilation.

JENN KENNEDY’S BOOK “Success by Design” is a collection of

conversations with 25 California architects. It is a successful attempt

to open the practice of architecture to an interested audience,

covering a lot of ground to bring the reader a taste of the breadth of

this profession. Personal images lead into the sections (Jenn is also

a photographer), followed by text and a couple of pages of great

and well-selected project imagery. Early career highlights show

key moments of each architect’s professional development and are

intermingled with personal memories of how most of them found

this art to be their true calling.

The reader will encounter architects that build in all sizes, from

residences to skyscrapers, and who developed their niches within

this wide profession ranging beyond building design from interior

design and specialized consulting to urban design. Each architect

offers unique advice on what it takes to grow your own business,

and it is interesting to read how many ways there are to start a

successful practice. In addition, the book offers creative advice on

how to weather the economic downturns typical for this profession,

as well as how to recession-proof your business locally and globally.

At times practitioners share why their offices failed and what their

biggest mistakes were. The bottom line, and this reappears often,

is that you need to get out there and make your own mistakes

firsthand.

The tone throughout all interviews is positive and encouraging,

which is great to see in a career where you can easily get lost. The

people depicted here clearly tried their best to realize personal

ability, which in the end has lead to success. More importantly,

however, this book shows that success and happiness can be found

in places often other than the pedestals of design leadership which

we were teased with during our education. The recurring message is

to truly look to identify who you really are, to accept your strengths,

and to market these; and there are many ways to do this.

If I had to offer constructive criticism it would be that, at

times, the sections read as a bit formulaic in the attempt to pack

too much information into the available space. I also think that

the content is much more interesting and engaging than the


23

By Brock Martinson

Brock Martinson, LEED AP BD+C graduated from North Dakota State University with an M. Arch. and is a Project Manager for CSHQA Architects in Boise, Idaho.

Book Review“SUCCESS BY DES IGN”by Jenn Kennedy

Kennedy gives us several examples of firm leaders who have chosen

to focus their attention on design while trusting the expertise of

their staff or partners in regards to their firm’s finances and business

management. Kennedy also shows us examples of the opposite type

of firm in which the founding partner is a skilled businessperson but

recognizes the need to surround themselves with talented designers.

Kennedy is able to illustrate the importance of recognizing that each

of these components is necessary for a firm to be successful, but

both criteria don’t need to be met by the same person.

Kennedy also delves into the methods of acquiring work

that each firm employs, and again readers are presented with

a surprisingly consistent message. Community involvement,

networking, reputation, and doing quality work are all recurrent

themes that can be found in each profile. Kennedy is able to

demonstrate the shared traits of these successful firms, regardless of

the firm’s size or market focus.

Throughout the book, the diversity of firms and leaders that

are profiled is particularly interesting. Kennedy has pulled together

a collection of firms ranging in size from less than five people to

several thousand. By presenting examples across the full gamut of

firms and firm leaders, Kennedy allows readers see what the shared

experiences and approaches are that have led to each individual’s

ascent.

One weakness of the book is the length of each profile leaves

the reader wanting more. With only a handful of pages per architect,

there are many details that the reader does not get to experience.

However, Kennedy does do an excellent job of giving examples

of each firm’s work, both built and conceptual. This allows for an

enlightening glimpse of the quality of work produced by each firm

and revealed a great deal about their values and sensibilities.

While “Success by Design” is not intended to be a business

primer, it does offer valuable insight into the experience and

perspective of different firm leaders. Each profile paints a picture of

the struggles and successes that are inherent with firm ownership. It

is a compelling book that is able to share valuable lessons on how to

build and maintain success in a firm of any size.

“SUCCESS BY DESIGN, Revealing Profiles of California

Architects” by Jenn Kennedy is a refreshing look at twenty-five (25)

architects who have successfully built thriving practices over the

course of the last several decades by focusing on their values and

strengths during market ups and downs. In a time when so much of

what is reported regarding the profession of architecture is centered

on high unemployment and sagging markets, Kennedy gives us a

look at a group of architects who have pursued their passion and

succeeded. Throughout the book, Kennedy explores a range of

factors that have led to the success of the individuals profiled;

including the paths that each took to lead their firms, a discussion

of whether they possessed a business or a design focus, and a

wonderful presentation of diversity in age, gender, and experience

amongst the different firms.

Each profile begins with a description of the background and

influences of the architect being profiled. The range of backgrounds

presented illustrates there is no set path to leading a firm. For

example, Kennedy states that Art Gensler, the founder of the prolific

firm bearing his name, knew from age five that he would be an

architect and will own his practice. On the other hand, Kennedy

presents the story of Beverly Prior of Beverly Prior Architects, who

wasn’t immediately sold on architecture as a profession, but has

since built a successful practice of over twenty people. Kennedy

shows us that for the group of individuals profiled, starting their own

firm wasn’t necessarily their childhood dream or lifelong goal, but

in many cases grew out of recognizing market needs that weren’t

being fulfilled, or of a desire to design on their own terms. In each

case, regardless of what the motivation for starting their own firm,

the architects profiled emphasized the importance of focusing on

their strengths in building their practices. This is a tangible lesson

for anyone in today’s market considering starting a firm or trying to

move up the leadership ranks at an existing firm.

Kennedy’s method of interviewing each architect is clearly

consistent. The architects profiled have been able to build sustainable

practices by putting their energy into those activities that fit their

skills and hiring or partnering with others who complement them.

FeaturingA IA GULF STATES REG ION


25


By Brandon Frazier Pace, AIA

Brandon Frazier Pace, AIA, LEED AP is a founding partner of Knoxville-based Sanders Pace Architecture. A graduate of University of Tennessee and Yale University, Brandon is an Adjunct Lecturer at Tennessee and has been a Teaching Fellow at Yale.

DesignCAPE RUSSELL RETREAT,Sharps Chapel, Tennessee

View of pavilion in early fall – the water is let down in the reservoir so it creates a rocky shoreline with water in the distance. Interior lighting spills through the openings within the cedar skin to give the pavilion a lantern effect. Image Credit: Jeffrey Jacobs Photography

PANELS TO BE SHOP FABRICATED, TYP.

TOP OF STEEL - +9’-9”


2X6 BLEACHED SPRUCEROOF JOIST

RIPPED 2X6 BLEACHEDCEDAR BLOCKINGSUPPORTS ROOF JOIST

2X6 BLEACHED SPRUCECEILING JOIST

2X4 BLEACHED CEDARWALL PANEL MEMBER,TYP.

2X6 FLOOR JOIST

PATTERN CONTINUES

PATTERN CONTINUES

PANEL 1 PANEL 2 PANEL 3 PANEL 4

RIPPED 2X6 BLEACHEDCEDAR BLOCKING -ALIGN W/ INTERIORPANEL FACE

PANEL SYSTEM - DETAILSPANEL SYSTEM - INSTALLATION

TRANSVERSE SECTIONWEST ELEVATION

ROOFTOP MOUNTEDPHOTOVOLTAIC CELL

RAINWATER HARVESTINGCOLLECTION CISTERNBEYOND

LOCKABLE SYSTEMS, STORAGE, ANDAMENITIES UNIT

PANELS TO BE SHOP FABRICATED, TYP.



2X6 BLEACHED SPRUCEROOF JOIST

RIPPED 2X6 BLEACHEDCEDAR BLOCKINGSUPPORTS ROOF JOIST

2X6 BLEACHED SPRUCECEILING JOIST

2X4 BLEACHED CEDARWALL PANEL MEMBER,TYP.

2X6 FLOOR JOIST

PATTERN CONTINUES

PATTERN CONTINUES

PANEL 1 PANEL 2 PANEL 3 PANEL 4

RIPPED 2X6 BLEACHEDCEDAR BLOCKING -ALIGN W/ INTERIORPANEL FACE

PANEL SYSTEM - DETAILSPANEL SYSTEM - INSTALLATION

View from Water. Image Credit: Brandon Pace


27

the appropriate systems that would satisfy both the client’s

functional requirements and our design goals. As these systems

were developed, cost related spreadsheets were routinely updated

and presented to our client in order to keep the project within

budget. In this way the value engineering process was absorbed

into the design phase. As the design progressed, the intimate

relationships formed between the design team and the construction

subcontractors, fabricators, and carpenters proved valuable as both

groups were able to communicate regarding possible construction

hurdles and collaborate to reach design solutions. This approach

helped to fulfill a goal of completing the construction of the project

within a 6 week timeline.

The finished pavilion consists of a lightweight 3x3 steel

frame fitted with steel tabs to accept wood framing members. A

concrete core drill was used to create pockets within the rocky soil

for concrete footings, thus keeping the site impact to a minimum.

The skin consists of a series of 1’x10’ cedar panels backed with insect

screen. For ease of construction, these panels were fabricated off

site and hung from the wood framing members that extend from

the steel frame. Smaller cedar members are inset and staggered

within full height members to give rigidity to the panels while still

allowing for cross ventilation and required flowage through the

structure in the event of flooding. These staggered panels lend a delicate pattern to the skin, camouflaging the pavilion within its densely wooded setting. Towards the water view, the cedar skin dissolves and becomes a series of screen panels allowing unobstructed views to the water and mountains beyond. A

single 8’x8’ sliding screen panel provides direct access to the water.

A butterfly roof directs captured rainwater to a 400 gallon cistern

located beside the structure, while an internal charcoal filter and

ultraviolet light treat the water for potable use. A single rooftop

mounted 125 watt photovoltaic cell feeds power to batteries

located within a secure storage locker. DC appliances and fixtures

are fed directly by the battery while an inverter located within the

storage locker allows for AC appliances such as a coffeemaker to be

plugged in.

As it turns out, the completion of this initial project led to the

continuation of the client’s original plan for the site. In 2010 we were

once again contacted by our client, this time for the design of the

house to be located on the same piece of property. Construction

began in the Fall of 2011 with an anticipated completion date of

Summer 2012.

Project Team:

Brandon F. Pace, AIA, LEED AP (Principal in Charge)

John L. Sanders, AIA, LEED AP

Michael A. Davis, LEED AP

IN 2008 A CLIENT (Suzanne Shelton and Corinne Nicolas)

approached Sanders Pace Architecture with an interesting request.

We had recently worked with the client on the conversion of a

vacant downtown warehouse building into the corporate offices

of her marketing group. She enlisted our help to assist her in

finding a lakefront piece of property for personal use. As the

home of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), east Tennessee

enjoys an abundance of beautiful lakefront property. The first

piece of property researched fulfilled an important requirement

that allowed the property owner to retain rights for development

of the shoreline. TVA typically retains ownership of the first 20 feet

of elevation along most of their shorelines. So when this piece of

property became available, the client made an offer hoping to soon

build a vacation cabin for her and her family. As the recession took

a grip on the economy soon after purchase, the plans for the house

were put on hold.

A few months later the client contacted us again. Although

she still wasn’t prepared to take on the house project, she wanted

to know if we would be interested in designing a structure at

the water’s edge, one which would serve as a staging area for

summertime activity. After careful research of TVA restrictions within

a flood flowage easement we began the design process. While the

restrictions described something more akin to a pre-manufactured

gazebo, both Sanders Pace and our client saw an opportunity to

do something more. Language within the restrictions limited the

size of the structure while flowage requirements limited the extent

of enclosure. Our initial concepts proposed a small structure open

on three sides with the fourth side serving to fulfill programmatic

requirements including a sink, refrigerator, and ample lockable

storage. As the president of a marketing group whose clients include some of the leading green energy and sustainable building groups in the world, our client saw this project as an opportunity to “practice what she preached.” She asked us to research systems which would allow the structure to function completely off the grid, with the capacity to collect and treat water while also collecting and storing the energy needed to power all systems and equipment within the structure. With

our goals now clearly defined we faced a significant challenge – how

to get a unique project like this built on a rural patch of land with

limited access on a relatively modest budget.

A small scale project with a high degree of complexity required

a unique approach to design and construction. As the design

progressed, fabricators and related consultants eventually became

extensions of the design team as we worked to resolve issues

related to materials and assemblies. Similarly, rainwater harvesting

and solar energy subcontractors worked with us closely to develop


ROOF ASSEMBLY

KYNAR FINISH METAL ROOFING OVER 2X6 SPRUCE FRAMING RESTS UPON A STEEL TUBE FRAME. INTEGRATED GUTTER AND SCUPPER DIRECT WATER TO RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM. 1KW PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL ATTACHED TO ROOFTOP PROVIDES OFF-THE-GRID POWER TO THE STRUCTURE.

WALL ASSEMBLY

PERMEABLE 2X4 CEDAR SCREEN BACKED WITH INSECT SCREEN CREATES PRIVACY WHILE ALLOWING PASSIVE VENTILATION AND VIEWS TO THE SITE BEYOND.

FLOOR ASSEMBLY

5/4 IPE DECKING WITH PENIFIN FINISH OVER 2X8 STRUCTURAL JOISTS ATTACHED TO CLIPS WELDED TO STRUCTURAL STEEL FRAME.

STRUCTURAL STEEL FRAME

3” X 3” TUBE STEEL FRAME SET INTO SITE DRILLED AND CAST CONCRETE PIERS

RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM

400 GALLON CISTERN COLLECTS RAINWATER FUNNELLED FROM THE BUTTERFLY ROOF. WATER IS PUMPED AND TREATED WITH INTERNAL CARBON AND UV FILTERS FOR POTABLE USE.

SERVICE CORE CONTINUOUS WOOD COUNTER WITH BUILT-IN REFRIGERATOR AND SINK DOUBLES AS SLEEPING SURFACE. INTEGRATED STORAGE LOCKER CONCEALS PV BATTERIES AND PERSONAL ITEMS.

Approach from Land. Image Credit: Brandon Pace


29


View from Water. Image Credit: Jeffrey Jacobs Photography

An approach view showing how it looks with the water at full elevation. the solid part is where the storage/kitchen module is located, it opens up on the two sides and the front. The adjacent land is owned by TVA so there will never be a construction project on the land you see beyond. Image Credit: Brandon Pace

Education Building. Image Credit: James Patterson

Courtyard. Image Credit: James Patterson


31

The project consists of two phases for 14,800 square feet

of renovation and 12,700 square feet of new construction. With

a construction cost of $4.5 million phase one was completed in

2009. The existing campus at the edge of town had two disparate

buildings around an imposing historical mansion, formerly home to

the daughter of the city’s founder. The recently-renovated mansion,

which is both revered and loathed for its place in local cultural

history, sits on the highest point of the bluff. The two buildings to the

side and rear of the mansion, a classroom building and gymnasium

originally built for a catholic school, drop down two stories toward

the delta.

To start the project the two existing buildings were fully

evaluated. The classroom building’s foundation and structural

components had been compromised and it had to be replaced.

The gymnasium building, on the other hand, was stable with

no apparent structural deficiencies, but the envelope was to be

renovated to prepare for phase two interior renovations. Creating a

A NEW PROJECT filled with possibilities is every design

professional’s desire. When I was offered the position of project

manager and designer for the Coahoma County Higher Education

Center, I eagerly embraced the responsibility. Having several years

of experience I was ready for the challenge as team leader on a

complex project with multiple clients, complicated renovations

and new construction, on a site laced with historical overtones.

The Coahoma County Higher Education Center is a satellite

campus for special programs and non-traditional students located

in Clarksdale, Mississippi, a small Delta city known for its cultural

and musical heritage. The facility serves as a community and

educational center for the state of Mississippi with four users: Delta

State University, Coahoma community College, the city of Clarksdale

and Coahoma County. The complex meets the varied needs of all

four entities, by including a 150-seat conference center, classrooms,

distance learning facility, resource center, demonstration kitchen

and administrative offices.

By Brett G. Cupples, AIA

Brett G. Cupples, AIA is an Associate at Duvall Decker Architects in Jackson, Mississippi with 15 years experience leading institutional, educational, commercial and residential teams as manager and architect. He is symposium coordinator for Mississippi Celebrates Architecture 2012 for AIA Mississippi.

DesignCOAHOMA COUNTY H IGHER

EDUCAT ION CENTER , MS


Mansion with Education Building Beyond. Image Credit: James Patterson

Finding qualified subcontractors also proved taxing for the

contractor. Some could not meet the quality standards and some

just walked away. A qualified mason was eventually identified to

complete the work. Additionally the first roofing Subcontractor

used most of the copper in unacceptable installations: poorly

folded material, incomplete flashing and joints and face-applied

anchors were evident throughout. These failures and deficient work

conditions were carefully identified by our team and detailed in field

reports. As a result, the contractor eventually hired a qualified roofer

and replaced 9000 pounds of copper. Though three hours away, we

visited the site often to protect the owner’s interest. The construction

was not completed on schedule, but we still continued frequent site

visits to ensure the project was constructed as designed.

Yet, not everything about the process was trying. As a young

architect, I was surprised to find myself in the position of a teacher

several times during the construction. We recognize in our firm that the architect is becoming the keeper of knowledge; the tradesman’s craft is learned on the job and passed down from one generation to the next, while an architect’s knowledge is mostly learned from reference material. If we don’t know, we can usually seek and find the answer. Because we are observing

a decline in the way that construction craft is passed down to today’s

tradesmen, we find ourselves in an interesting position of knowing

what should be, but not knowing exactly how to make it. Often

we empowered the subcontractors to advance their capabilities

by working with them to maintain a high level of expectation. In

almost every instance, that subcontractor’s craft and confidence in

his ability was elevated.

The result is a successful project where the owner’s expectations

are met or exceeded and the tradesmen can carry forward the pride

new campus that married well with the mansion’s historical context

was our challenge. For many reasons many new buildings that attempt to emulate the historical aesthetic fail to achieve the richness of the original structures. This tends to devalue the stature of the historical structure. Therefore we decided that the new building should be contrasted as a respectful frame for the mansion – a progressive intervention deferring to the mansion but with an equal internal integrity.

The client group was surprised by a contrasting design as

they had all assumed that any new building would resemble the

original. However, as we presented and developed the design the

client representatives became excited about the project’s planning

and future possibilities. Even though the new building designs are

modern, some became advocates for the project recognizing that

our planning enriched the site historical narrative. Though the

building components were simple, the local economy and the lack

of contractors, subcontractors and labor in the area made it difficult

to award a construction contract. Achieving a successful bid in the

poor Mississippi Delta economy required an extraordinary effort

on the part of the architect to find bidders. A committed general

contractor was ultimately identified although the difficulties of

building in this remote part of the state still presented challenges

throughout the project. The site was demanding for the contractor,

as the soil in this area is highly expansive clay which dictated the use

of reinforced concrete pilings and grade beams for the foundation.

The new foundation steps two stories up the bluff, so the grade

beams were constructed in stages. This work occurred during the

winter months and Mississippi’s winters are wet. The contractor

encountered many rainy days, which, coupled with the lack of

skilled labor, caused many delays in this phase of the project.


33

of their achievement. The new classroom building that replaced

the compromised structure is aligned with the city grid to link the

campus with the community. The renovated and new buildings are

knit together with bridges and outdoor walkways that celebrate the

bluff and create a center courtyard. An amphitheater formed along

the bluff and between the existing and new buildings mirrors an

outdoor stage at the Blues Museum, which is located at the end of

a main city street directly across town. The new public courtyard

creates a performance and gathering space for the campus and

the city’s special festivals and events. In a landscape with very

little change of elevation, the project gives the bluff prominence.

The historic and new components of the campus come together

through careful site planning, complementary shapes and materials,

and engaging indoor and outdoor spaces. In 2011, the project received a Merit Award from the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and Honor Award from the Brick Industry Southeast Region.

Bridge Overlooks Courtyard with Views in Both Directions along Bluff. Image Credit: James Patterson

Conference Center with Mansion Beyond. Image Credit: James Patterson


By Amanda Rivera, AIA and Jenny Pelc, AIA

Amanda Rivera, AIA, LEED AP and Jenny Pelc, AIA, LEED AP are licensed architects with Eskew+Dumez+Ripple in New Orleans. Outside the work environment, Amanda serves as Area Coordinator for Architecture for Humanity, while Jenny serves as an IDP Auxiliary Coordinator and a resource for emerging professionals.

DesignL .B . L ANDRY H IGH

SCHOOL , New Or l eans

The programmatic needs of a high school operation were just

a portion of this facility which also sought to provide community

benefits to the surrounding neighborhood. The school includes

a 650-seat auditorium, two gymnasiums, media and vocational

technology labs, and a large library. In addition, the first floor of an

entire wing of the facility is a school-based health center which was

funded by a grant from the Louisiana Public Health Institute. L.B.

Landry performs double duty as a community center with isolated

public entrances to the gymnasium, health clinic and media centers.

The institution also provides educational facilities for vocational

trades such as welding, masonry, cosmetology, set design, sculpting,

culinary arts, special education as well as general life skills. In a low-

income neighborhood, like much of Algiers, these opportunities

were critical to the program and critical to the future of New Orleans.

The athletic wing houses a weight room, training room and dance

room. With all of these unique components it was imperative that

our team understand the complexities required by each of these

specialized spaces. Among our consultants, the team coordinated

with an acoustician to properly design the auditorium, classrooms,

band room and choir rooms. Such a programmatically and

technically complex design challenge represented a tremendous

opportunity for the young team at our studio to quickly grow

professionally.

A priority of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, as well as the Recovery

School District, was to provide this infrastructure in an appropriate

and environmentally responsible way. The benefits of sustainable

design goals in schools are well understood – improved academic

performance, reduced sick days for teachers and students, faculty

retention, and student education. For a school previously referred

to as "academically unacceptable" by the State before the storm,

these sustainable efforts were critical to bringing this school back

on-line in a way that was both meaningful and productive to the

future generations it would serve.

We developed this 210,000 square foot facility to achieve LEED

for Schools Silver Certification, which is anticipated to have been

attained by the time this story runs. Solar panels at the roof level

IN THE FIRST few years after the devastating Hurricanes of 2005

hit the Gulf Coast, the core concerns in New Orleans were of failing

levees, reduced population, and increased crime. The city certainly

has changed from the one we knew before 2005. We have new

challenges, and we have been forced to look some of the older,

more rooted challenges squarely in the eyes – such as educational

shortcomings, racial segregation, and deep, political corruption. But

with all of these challenges come new opportunities for those of us

in the design community. The residents who are here now may not

represent the masses of the past, but those who are here now are

here because they deliberately choose to be. The attitude of those who continue to reside in the New Orleans is characterized by obstinate determination, dedication to our future, unwavering pride for our rich culture, and an undeniable understanding that change is necessary. We want to see this

city resurrected because it is our home – whether a more recently

acquired home or one we have resided in for many years.

One of the most tide-shifting changes has occurred

within the New Orleans school system. In the Summer of 2007,

Eskew+Dumez+Ripple was presented with the opportunity to

design one of the five new schools as part of the Louisiana Recovery

School District's (RSD) “Quick Start” program. The L.B. Landry High

School site represented a much needed 900-student facility for

an historic, but somewhat struggling, neighborhood that would

benefit from the integrated community features.

As one can imagine, in a city that lost a significant portion of

their public institutions and services in a matter of 48 hours, design

and construction schedules were extraordinarily ambitious. Under

the direction of the firm’s principals, our energetic team of budding

architects and designers quickly began work to design and bid the

project in a nine month period. At a macro level, our young team was

exposed to the process of design and the art of developing design

priorities imposed by an unyielding deadline. At a more micro level,

the political dynamics of an RSD development in an ever-recovering

city presented a quick tutorial in high risk projects as well as

significant client and regulatory agency communication.


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37

States. At a time when so many of us and our treasured neighbors

lost significant aspects of their lives, our team was honored to

take such an active role in filling a major void for this particular

community. L.B. Landry High School represents the positive results

of collaboration and community resiliency that emerged from a

national tragedy.

Of the 13 architectural design team members assigned to this project, seven were, or still are, undergoing the ARE process. This rapid timeline and the significant number of hours required to execute the assignment created an opportunity for accelerated experience accumulation and allowed several team members to finish their licensure exams shortly thereafter. Truly a hotbed for learning and professional

growth – as cited by research published in Forbes Magazine, The

New York Times, and others - living in New Orleans during such an

intense period of design and construction has significantly altered

the career paths of these individuals. Many of us will be forever

grateful.

heat water for use inside. Solar Tubes provide tunneled sunlight into the two gymnasiums, reducing the use of artificial lighting. All windows are designed to maximize sunlight, some with light shelves, and are positioned appropriately depending on their location in the building relative to their solar exposure. The building uses very little electricity and has

been proven to date to be right on target with the anticipated energy

consumption goals. With the assistance of motion sensors, interior

light levels are automatically adjusted according to the amount

of natural light. All classrooms have sufficient luminance without

the use of artificial lighting. Also, a supplemental grant from Global

Green allowed for a 20,000-gallon underground water storage tank

which collects rainwater and directs it to the surrounding native

landscape where it provides irrigation.

Upon completion of construction, this facility was warmly

received by the neighbors who immediately accepted it as “their”

facility. Anyone who has been to New Orleans knows that it is the

people who make our city unique among others in the United


All images courtesy of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple

By Brent Hughes, AIA

Brent Hughes, AIA, LEED AP is an architect in Gresham, Smith and Partners’ healthcare design studio at Nashville. His leadership and passion for healthcare design has elevated GS&P’s industry position in international healthcare markets, sustainable design practices, and patient safe design principles.

DesignHONGQIAO INTERNAT IONAL

MED ICAL C I TY, Shangha i

the entire medical city was designed with a consistent architectural

aesthetic. Even with this established style, each facility was

uniquely articulated to provide enough differentiation to make

each destination distinct in order to enhance a patient-friendly

environment through intuitive wayfinding. The campus is further organized to minimize the institutional feel that is associated with most healthcare facilities by creating a park-like setting that can be enjoyed by patients, visitors, hospital staff, and the nearby occupants of large commercial and residential blocks.

The size and scope of the campus is scaled to meet the growing

needs of Shanghai. Because the medical city is expected to grow

quickly, the design team developed a phased approach for the entire

site with expected completion over the next ten years. Designing

for the future ensures the goals determined by the design team are

maintained throughout the development of the site.

Innovative Sustainable Design Strategies

To support the medical campus’ goal of establishing a healthy

and safe environment, the design of the Hongqiao International

Medical City incorporated multiple sustainable and green building

philosophies. By integrating technology, building systems, water

conservation, energy recovery, energy production and management

of the campus waste stream it is possible to reduce the medical

city’s carbon footprint well below that of a conventional healthcare

campus.

An enhanced building envelope, planted roofs, and high

efficiency mechanical equipment will offset almost half of the

building’s carbon footprint. A double skin façade consisting of two

glazed skins, with solar shading devices within the cavity, provides

a higher insulating value for the exterior envelope thus mitigating

solar gain and decreasing cooling loads while allowing for natural

ventilation. Planted roofs, in addition to contributing to the campus’

park-like setting, will aid in building insulation systems as well

as storm water management, and the heat recovery mechanical

equipment will also reduce the new hospital’s mechanical demands.

IN THE SUMMER of 2009, Gresham, Smith and Partners was

invited to participate in a master planning design competition for

a first-of-its-kind healthcare campus in one of the world’s busiest

cities. GS&P’s team of architects, planners, and engineers spent two

intense months designing the winning entry.

There were three goals for the master plan competition that

shaped the design for the new medical city. First, the innovative

healthcare campus aimed to showcase China’s future healthcare

delivery system highlighted in part by their commitment to cutting-

edge technology. Second, the medical city campus was designed

to be a civic landmark within the rapidly-growing city of Shanghai.

Finally, there was an emphasis on a sustainable design that would

minimize environmental impact for the new healthcare campus.

International Healthcare Showcase

Outlined in the competition criteria, the primary objective

of the new medical city was to create a landmark, first-of-its-kind

project that would be used as a new healthcare precedent for China

and the rest of the world. The Hongqiao International Medical

City will encompass more than five million square feet of space

and will include over 3,000 inpatient beds. Three different acute

care facilities were brought together in order to share resources

and synergy. Smaller centers of excellence were created to attract

world renowned Western healthcare providers looking to establish

themselves in Asia.

In order to maximize cutting-edge but often costly diagnostic

and treatment equipment, a shared support facility was planned for

the core of the new campus. Inpatient and outpatient facilities ring this core support facility, and bridged connectors span from hospital to hospital allowing the public access to amenities and specialty functions. Subterranean links allow staff members to move patients between shared modalities that are located below large open public plazas.

Civic Landmark

In an effort to create the landmark the city of Shanghai desired,


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Additional sustainable strategies include maximizing day

lighting, total energy co-generation, geothermal heat exchangers,

solar collection and a campus-wide bio-mass system. These systems

will not only allow the medical city to conserve energy but also

allow them to produce energy by diverting waste systems. These

strategies will help close the process loops already in place on the

campus and will result in a 95-percent carbon reduction.

These green design techniques coupled with the architectural

aesthetic of a healthcare oasis will help establish the Hongqiao

International Medical City as a sought after destination for

innovative and transformative care that caters to the healthcare

needs of international clientele and the local community.

Project Team:

Principal-In-Charge Kevin Kim, AIA

Project Designers Jeffery Kuhnhenn, AIA, Gregory Wieland, AIA

Project Architect Brent Hughes, AIA

Project Coordinator Claire Wallace, Assoc AIA

Project Engineer David McMullin, PEAll images courtesy of Gresham, Smith and Partners

By Chris Baribeau, AIA

Chris Baribeau, AIA is a principal at Modus Studio in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Prior to opening his own architectural practice, Chris worked in the office of Marlon Blackwell Architect. Chris is the recipient of the 2011 AIA Arkansas Emerging Professional Award.

DesignGREEN FOREST M IDDLE

SCHOOL, Green Forest , AR

The Green Forest Middle School is a modern, two-story

educational building located in the small agricultural community

of Green Forest, Arkansas. The 29,014 square foot building acts

as both a hub and backdrop for students and the inhabitants

of the greater community by defining a landscaped plaza in

the heart of the campus. Modern façade articulation of metal

panel and concrete block re-imagines the use of durable, low-

maintenance, and cost effective materials that are common to

school construction. Powerful architectural elements define

entry, inspire movement through the building, and contain

key educational components in a fun, practical and sustainable

way. The design is resolved through the use of economical and

intelligent materials combined to enrich the existing campus

through the interaction of people, space, form, and color—both

internally and externally.


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YAFCONNECTION0 1 '1 2projected box becomes a deep window seat suitable for students to

engage with the books around them. Economically sized classrooms

with custom millwork and large windows for daylight and fresh air

flank the wide corridors of the first and second floors. Custom steel

lintels with room numbers mark the threshold of each learning

space. The north end of the second floor corridor resolves into

another projected window seat box and provides a respite from the

busy hallway and secondary stair.

The Special education learning component of the new school

is located on the northeast corner. This area has its own garden,

covered porch entry and services providing a private, safe, and

comfortable atmosphere for the practical applications of teaching

daily resource classes. This element is also conceived as a projected

box, providing spatial relief to the eastern façade that is adjacent

to the football field and acts as a compositional balance for the

structure.

As a building located in the geographic center of the campus,

all elevations are carefully composed with the play of concrete block

and metal panel to dynamically address each approach. These

durable, low-maintenance materials are common to economical

school construction, but are creatively used to provide a unique

design aesthetic. As a base material the standard-sized, sandblasted,

stack-bond concrete block is used instead of split-face block, which is

the most typical material for school construction. This smooth block

keeps the building friendly to students and other users occupying

the landscaped gathering spaces around the building. The standing

seam shed roof of the building channels all water to the east side

in continuation with the natural hydrology of the site while also

providing a compositional shell embracing the main volume of the

new structure.

The context of the greater campus was also addressed in terms of aesthetics and safety as the project includes development of a new pedestrian plaza connecting the middle school and high school across the primary street of Philips avenue. Prior to the new design, the street was shut down

from all vehicular access during school hours. The new street design

carefully controls vehicular movement speed, maximizes circulation

for parking and bus loading and creates a tree-lined boulevard to

beautify the primary school zone.

The Green Forest Public Schools receive monetary support from

the state department of education and with our management and

shepherding of the project, maximum state support was secured by

meeting and exceeding the state requirements while holding on to

the belief that educational space should and can be inspirational

through good design.

RESTING IN A wide valley among the Ozark Mountains, this

new two-story middle school is located in the small agricultural

community of Green Forest, Arkansas. Upon initial evaluation of the

proposed site the design team recognized the importance of the

existing central green space to the campus as a common area, used

often throughout the day as a gathering place for middle school

and high school students during lunch, and before and after school.

Furthermore, it is a transitional space consistently traversed by all

students and members of the community as it is the access to the

campus football field and acts as a plaza for the old CWA gymnasium,

art and music, cafeteria, and agricultural buildings on the campus.

In the early master planning stages the school's desire to fill in

the entire green space with a one-story classroom building, which

would have eliminated the central outdoor space of the campus,

was averted by proposing a modern two-story building capable of

preserving two-thirds of the available exterior space as a student

commons and community plaza. The sustainable design was

executed through the use of economical and intelligent materials

combined to enrich the existing campus through the interaction of

people, space, form, and color—both internally and externally.

The western façade of the building addresses the primary

approach. The structure is a poignant new presence in the newly defined plaza space, poised to receive students and visitors under the 16 foot high cantilever of the white standing seam roof that acts as a unifying shell over the entire building. This covered zone is an event space serving the school and the

greater community. The landscaped plaza uses native plantings to

define a functioning rain garden and the organically constructed

alumni garden that contains the relics of carved concrete pavers

with signatures from the early graduates of the public school

system. A new processional sidewalk leads to the building entry,

marked by the cantilevered library box clad in red metal panel, the

school’s signature color.

Inside the main entry is a spacious atrium with a floating stair and a large skylight above creates a pivotal location of light and movement as the primary hub of circulation. The vertical red wall of the elevator is a beacon, emphasizing the signature color as the catalyst for activity. The exposed structure of the building reveals the bones as an innate educational component and provides more relief of volume in the entry and reception areas as well as the corridors connecting the individual classrooms.

Upstairs, the library and circulation spaces open to the entry

below. Floating above the entry with the outward projection of

a pop-out window box is the library, conceived as a transparent

platform overlooking the plaza and high school to the west. The

Project Team:

Josh Siebert, Assoc. AIA Chris M. Baribeau, AIA

Chris M. Lankford Austin L. Chatelain, Assoc. AIA

Julie K. Chambers, AIA Leanne R. Baribeau, AIA

All images by Rett Peek


49


planning to detailing.

How was your firm selected for the project?

For the MVS project, the owner originally hired a couple of

other architects, who had each proposed schematic concepts.

They decided not to move forward with those proposals, and then

interviewed another round of architects, including us. The interview

process was very intensive. Rather than a single meeting, the owner’s

team of 3-4 people met with us and other firms 3-4 times over the

course of a couple weeks. They were very intent upon a time frame,

and had extremely fixed notions of the program and the layout of

the spaces. It wasn’t a typical project where we needed to do a great

deal of programming and predesign work. Rather, the clients had

been dreaming of the project for a long time, and were very precise

with their thoughts on workflow, detailing, and materials. The Lead Surgeon had taken a recent vacation and ‘relaxed’ by drawing upper and lower floor plans of the building, in addition to developing a schematic 3D model of the building. We said we’d

be able to base the design on their concepts and schedule, and they

hired us.

What was your process for arriving at the design concept?

We started by focusing on the plan aspects of the building.

We don’t always do this, but we knew that if we didn’t show the

owner how their spaces fit on the site, and how they related with

one another, we’d never progress to discussions about materials,

sectional issues, or other details. Although the site was a “flag”

lot with many trees along a drainage creek, there were multiple

easements and setbacks that reduced the buildable area of the lot

significantly. This area made a triangular-shaped trapezoid, with an

arc for one side. The plan drawn by the Owner showed a treatment/

surgery area at its core, encircled with circulation and specialized

treatment areas. We took the buildable area on the site, and placed

the treatment area at its core. Then we wrapped a single-loaded

corridor and room module around the treatment room, which came

close to generating a triangular volume. We thought – why not?

THE PROJECT IS a freestanding 18,500 square foot building for

Memphis Veterinary Specialists (MVS). Design began in March, 2010

and the building was completed in June, 2011. The construction

budget was $3.2 million, which amounted to less than $175 per

square foot. MVS is a referral-based veterinary practice with expertise

in emergency surgery, exotic animals, orthopedics, oncology,

dermatology, dentistry, and diagnostic treatment. The facility was

required to provide 24-7 treatment and care for the animal patients

with design considerations similar to that of a human hospital within

a smaller footprint., The program included spaces for treatment,

surgery, specialty procedure rooms, recovery, and intensive care

areas, as well as a full range of diagnostic capability is provided

onsite, including a pharmacy/laboratory, ultrasound, endoscopy,

radiology, and CT imaging.

How would you describe your firm’s design philosophy?

Trust the design process. Take each project on its own merits

and opportunities. Maybe it’s better to just describe the process

than to call it a philosophy. We start by digging into a client’s

business or lifestyle through a meeting we call a visioning charrette.

It’s conducted a lot like a “squatting” programming exercise that CRS

(now a part of HOK) perfected in the 60’s, but we look for different

data. We camp out with the clients holding an intensive discussion

that lasts anywhere from a half day to three days. We don’t really talk

about materials or square footage; we talk about routines, stories,

business goals and ideals – really soft stuff about the client that may

be invisible or not readily apparent.

After the visioning charrette, we combine the information we

gathered with site and program research and have a discussion. The

project team gathers around a table with all this raw data on it and

identifies what’s important about the project. Then we prioritize

strategies that connect all the important issues and create a concept

with options, or multiple concepts. We critically evaluate the options

as a group and usually with the client and develop a concept to

advance. The goal is to take the concept and strategies for each

project and use them to guide decision making processes from site

By Matt Seltzer, AIA

Matt Seltzer, AIA is an architect with archimania in Memphis, Tennessee. He works with collaborative design teams that practice on a broad range of project types and scales. He holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from Rice University, and has worked in Houston and Philadelphia.

DesignMEMPHIS VETER INARY

SPEC IAL ISTS FAC IL I TY


51


chemicals used in surgery, and pet hair on the flooring, wall, and

even ceiling materials. The Owner group self-built mock-ups and

tested materials in their existing clinic. The coordination of materials

and textures also had to hold up aesthetically while meeting the

budget, but the Owner didn’t approve anything without a healthy

dose of due diligence.

Describe your personal experience on this project.

When we landed the job, and created the in-house project team,

we had a group of people that doesn’t get to work together very

often. The team had chemistry, and we had a good time working on

it together. Collaborating to make something better than you ever cold have made it individually is one of the reasons I love practicing architecture.

What lessons did you take from this process?

We’d all agree that the harder we as architects work on a

project, the better the outcome. We found that the owner’s efforts

and commitment to the project accelerated the schedule, and

improved both the design and the building. The Owner/Architect

team integrated well and pushed each other. We can’t wait to find

another client willing to work that hard on a project.

Project Team:

Andrew Parks; Barry Yoakum, FAIA; Christopher McRae; David Pang; Edith Tinker; Greg Price;

Kayce Williford, Associate AIA; Matt Seltzer, AIA; Scott Guidry, CSI; Stephanie Wexler-Malone,

IIDA; Susan Dalhoff; Tim Michael, AIA; Todd Steele, Associate AIA; Todd Walker, FAIA

The partial second floor allowed us to bring light in through roof

monitors to the areas that did not have exterior windows, so the

triangle worked. The concept grew out of a series of pragmatic responses to the realities of the site and the program.

Was the client immediately receptive to the design?

The owner approved the basic arrangement of spaces fairly

quickly as the spaces were organized using the plan the owner had

developed while on vacation. The plans were revised to respond to

critical clearance and circulation issues relative to equipment and

procedures, but remained faithful to our original schematic plans.

We discussed material options with the owner continuously

throughout the design process. They were interested in a gritty,

visceral exterior, and had very exact requirements for the interior

finishes, due to the nature of their work. We proposed a few

strategies for the exterior materials: a couple options with very taut

glass and metal skins, each with a mixture of weathering and non-

weathering finishes, and a version with smooth concrete panels

with metal and glass infill for the first floor spaces, and a cor-ten

steel wrapped upper portion of the building. The owner loved

the concrete and cor-ten option and approved it with very little

discussion. In addition to satisfying the client’s desire for the look

and feel of the building, it responded to the site, and had an impact

from the street upon approach.

Aside from the routine sustainability and design review we use

for materials, all the interior finishes had to be subjected to what

became known as the “test.” This involved putting urine, feces, blood, All images by © Jeffrey Jacobs Photography. All drawings by archimania.

FeaturingA IA OH IO VALLEY REG ION


53


an architectural code consulting firm with offices in Cincinnati,

Ohio and Berkeley, California.

• Hal Munger, FAIA who has a long history of service to the AIA,

including a term as National Treasurer, Ohio Valley Region

Director, AIA Ohio President and AIA Toledo President.

The discussion ranged from the success and disappointments

of running one’s own firm to handling your career during a deep

recession. One panelist offered a key insight to fellowship stating,

"You don't start your career in architecture seeking fellowship. If you do what you love and stay dedicated to the profession it will naturally happen. Someone from the College of Fellows will put their hand on your shoulder and sponsor you." This

session was a great opportunity for emerging professionals to rub

elbows and engage seasoned professionals in a warm, friendly and

close atmosphere.

Having the Convention and Unconvention together allowed us

to have nine reviewers for the Speed Portfolio Review. These were

not job interviews but rather critiques of portfolios and resumes for

Emerging Professionals. You may remember how helpful critiques

were in school, but when was the last time you had an honest

critique of your portfolio? There was also discussion of paper versus

digital format. While some liked the embrace of technology, others

wanted paper to flip through while talking to the interviewee.

THE UNCONVENTION BEGAN with a simple premise: “get

Emerging Professionals to convention.” First, our Unconvention team

brainstormed possible reasons why they would not attend. These

reasons ranged from personal to educational interests: time away

from work and home, cost of registration, cost of stay, transportation

means, and relevant programming. Then, we developed solutions to

each possible issue.

We scheduled the event for a Friday & Saturday keeping the

time away from the office to just one day and giving up one day of

the weekend. To address costs we applied for and won grants from

the AIA College of Fellows Emerging Professionals Grant and the

AIA Trust. Kaplan and NCARB provided in-kind donations with two

complete ARE learning systems and five ARE vouchers. AIA Ohio, AIA

Kentucky, and AIA Indiana provided funding as well. We sent out a

survey asking what topics were of interest to Emerging Professionals

(EPs) and developed programming around survey results.

After Friday morning's Convention Keynote by De Leon &

Primmer, the Unconvention kicked off with “The Road Less Taken...

Is That the Road to Fellowship?” This was a much anticipated session

that looked at life experiences, career choices and what Fellowship is

and how one can get there. Fellows from AIA Indiana, AIA Kentucky

and AIA Ohio participated on the panel to answer questions and

offer advice about how to plan for and manage an architecture

career during the up and down cycles that affect the profession

and construction industry. This was an excellent career planning

guide for Emerging Professionals and a great introduction for what

to expect in the profession. Wayne Mortenson, Associate AIA, 2012

NAC Chair, did a fantastic job of moderating the session and injecting

enthusiasm and comic relief for the early morning attendees.

The panelists included:

• Michael Schuster, FAIA, LEED AP is the founder and principal of

MSA Architects and president-elect for AIA Ohio.

• Sheila K. Snider, FAIA, who has been appointed the College of

Fellows Representative to the Ohio Valley Region for 2010 through

2014. She is the past president of AIA Indiana.

• David S. Collins, FAIA is the president of The Preview Group, Inc., an

By Brian McAlexander, Associate AIA and Gregory M. Spon, Associate AIA

Brian McAlexander, Associate AIA is the current AIA Ohio Valley Regional Associate Director and sits on the National Associates Committee (NAC). Gregory M. Spon, Associate AIA is the current AIA Ohio Associate Director and 2012 -2013 AIA Ohio Valley Regional Associate Director and will serve on the NAC.

EventA IA OVR UNCONVENT ION 2011

Portfolio Review - Brian McAlexander and Bruce Sekanick. Image Credit: AIA OVR

on a daily basis. The three panelists, from a variety of backgrounds

and from firms of different sizes participated in a moderated, open

discussion. It was a great chance for attendees to hear about some

of the non-design related issues critical to a firm’s vitality and growth

in today’s market. Topics covered included setting strategic goals,

marketing, contracts, and client retention among others.

What else is on the minds of EP's? The ARE of course! Which

section in particular? Structures! So we held a 4 hour study session

lead by not one but three Structural Engineers. Our thanks to Shell +

Meyer Associates for volunteering to lead the session.

We wrapped up with presenting prizes, Kaplan study guides

and five ARE vouchers. Thanks to everyone who stayed till 3:00 PM

on a Saturday afternoon! We hope everyone learned something,

met new people, and had a great time!

This event did not come out of nowhere; what developed sprang

from an existing program, the AIA Ohio Emerging Professionals

Retreat which itself had come out of an earlier program, the AIA

Ohio Associate Director Summit from years prior. Where the Summit

was restricted to the Local Associate Directors and State Associate

Director, the Retreat opened up to all EP leadership. The Retreat

then opened to all EP's and became the Unconvention. It has been

an evolutionary process that began 6-7 years ago.

Although the OVR Unconvention was an evolution of

programming, we believe it can be produced much more quickly

in other regions. What took us several years to evolve, you can

engineer in a single year. In the next few months we will dissect the

Unconvention using actual attendance, expenses, and attendee

survey to determine our successes and not so successful outcomes.

Learn from us and go out and produce your own Unconvention!

Unconvention team:

Brian McAlexander, Assoc. AIA

Greg Spon, Assoc. AIA

Jack Baumann, AIA

Melissa Seig, AIA

Michael Neureither, Assoc. AIA

Kate Brunswick, Hon. AIA, CAE

The session Overcoming Millennial Stereotypes: How to

Champion Your Project as a Young Designer looked at EP's leading

a project and some of the different values of generations working

in architecture firms. They used an actual project, a school for

Beavercreek, as a study of the dynamic interaction of different

generations.

Friday night was capped off by Dinning by Design Tours, two

of which ended at the Neon Movies for Pecha Kucha Night. The

Unconvention wanted to reach out to the public, connecting them to

the architects and introducing the convention to the locals. PK Night

seemed a great way to end the night and bring in a wider audience.

We teamed up with Pecha Kucha Night Dayton and provided five

of the eight speakers. Two of those speakers were Unconvention

speakers and one was a Convention keynote speaker, Dan Maginn,

AIA of El Dorado Inc. His hilarious take on the installation of the Ikea

PS Pendant lamp will long be remembered.

On Saturday while the Convention was wrapping up and heading

out to tours, the Unconvention was deep into its programming. The

much anticipated session Alternate Career Paths in Architecture was

moderated by Lee Waldrep, who has moderated several panels on

the topic including one at AIA National Convention in New Orleans.

The panel was quite large and included those who had specialized

within the profession and those who had taken their knowledge

and training and applied it to other fields like home inspections and

comic strip writing. The authors of Architext (http://architexts.us/)

provided some much needed comic relief and strangely appeared

in silhouette form whenever photographed.

Martin Smith, AIA from NCARB and Sandra LaFontaine, AIA, the

AIA Ohio State IDP Coordinator, discussed with attendees the IDP

and licensure processes and participated in a lengthy question and

answer session.

At the EP Roundtable Lunch Emerging Professionals from the

region had an open discussion about their past, future, and the

changes that are occurring in the profession.

The Architecture as Business session provided EPs with a chance

to hear from a panel on the business decisions that firms face

Janet Pike, Hon. AIA

Jason Shelly

Jane Treiber

Terry Welker, AIA

The silhouetted profiles of the authors of Architext with panelists of Alternate Career Paths in Architecture. Image Credit: AIA OVR


55


Pecha Kucha Night at the Neon Movies. Image Credit: AIA OVR

Portfolio Review. Image Credit: AIA OVR

By Adam Palmer, AIAAdam Palmer, AIA, LEED AP is a Project Manager and Associate with Schmidt Associates, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana. Adam served as the 2011 Chair of National YAF Advisory Committee and is serving as the Past Chair in 2012.

LeadershipREFLECTING ON 2011

Young Architects Award Book – In conjunction with the College

of Fellows’ awards of the Young Architects Award, the YAF created a

corresponding book to celebrate and further recognize the award

recipients. It was produced in a limited run for the winners, but is

available to purchase for those interested.

Regional Representation Changes – In an effort to enhance the

value and recognition of the regional representatives of the YAF, it

was decided to change their title from Regional Liaison to the Young

Architect Regional Director (YARD). This change was another step

in encouraging the interaction with the Regional Boards to foster

better communication and utilization of the YARD network. We also

hope this step will further support our desire to have the regional

leadership select the YARD for their regions when the position is

open.

IN 2011 THE YAF actively strengthened its relationships with

the AIA Board of Directors, the National Associates Committee and

their long standing relationship with the College of Fellows.

Several activities consumed the energies of the YAF:

Ideas Competition 2010 – This year’s design competition was

a joint effort with the AIA Committee on Design (COD). It was

sponsored by Toto and challenged the submitters to explore the

concept of Universal Design. The award recipients were announced

at the AIA National Convention in New Orleans.

Mentoring Initiative – A Webinar Series of four sessions was

organized. The series covered the topics of: Getting Work, Operating

Profitably, Doing Good Work, and Talent and Culture. The sessions

are available to download and for continuing education credits.

YARD Meeting at AIA Grassroots Conference, February 2011


57

YAF Advisory Committee Changes – Two of the AdCom positions,

the YARD Advisor and the Communications Advisor, were changed

from one year terms to two year terms. This change was initiated in

an effort to further improve the YARD network and the value of the

YAF to the AIA and the profession.

Grassroots and Convention Programs – YAF hosted one

program at Grassroots, which we presented twice during the

conference. This program highlighted leadership and mentoring

programs that are going on across the country. At Convention we

hosted two workshops and one program. These celebrated the

Young Architect Award winners and discussed the value of design.

We had an opportunity to host a Legacy Lunch, where we invited

many former YAF AdCom members to join us for lunch. This was a

great opportunity to meet with some of the past YAF leadership.

Council of Emerging Professionals (CEP) – Formed of YAF,

NAC and AIAS representatives, this year witnessed improved

communication and collaboration among the groups. The CEP was

charged with 10 milestones during initial formation, and the YAF has

worked with the other CEP members to respond to them in 2011.

YAF Fall Retreat and WEAVE – In November, AIA Chicago hosted

our first face-to-face Fall Retreat in many years. This gave us the

opportunity to have a productive Transition Meeting, welcoming

the new AdCom members for 2012, and begin the leadership

transition for our next year of activity. The AdCom also took this

retreat opportunity to perform the WEAVE and begin looking at how

we align and can be further aligned with the AIA Strategic Plan.

YAF Connection – The YAF Connection transitioned from a

newsletter to an e-magazine this year with improved content and

outreach. Six bi-monthly issues were published, each carrying a

unique theme. A valuable addition to the publication is the Fellows’

Corner that is devoted to stories by or about AIA Fellows.

YAF Session at AIA Grassroots Conference, February 2011

YAF Legacy Lunch at AIA National Convention, May 2011

YAF Advisory Committee Transition Meeting, November 2011

Regional Board Engagement - The AdCom and the YARD’s will

continue to discuss with the regional boards and the regional

leadership members about the proposal that the regions should be

engaged in selecting the YARD for their respective regions.

Grassroots and Convention programs – The YAF will host a

roundtable discussion and presentation during the 2012 Grassroots.

This will be a presentation of the outcomes from the YAF Summit 20.

The YAF is also hosting two programs at the National Convention in

Washington, DC.

YAF Connection - Our E-Magazine will continue to be the source

of information for Young Architects and any others interested in

leadership and mentoring of our profession.

Social Media – We will continue to develop the YAF KnowledgeNet

site and share information through our Twitter and Facebook

accounts to further expand our presence and share information

and opportunities that are of importance to the recently licensed

architects.

Council of Emerging Professionals – We will continue to be

actively engaged in the development of the CEP and the growth of

Emerging Professionals at all levels.

Leadership Institute – We look forward to beginning the

discussion and planning of the Leadership Institute. This program

will provide attendees an opportunity to increase their effectiveness

and personal involvement and leadership of their communities.

Upcoming ActivitiesThe first major activity that the YAF is very excited about in the

upcoming months is the YAF Summit 20. The Summit 20 will take

place the day before Grassroots 2012 begins. This event is being

planned to commemorate the first 20 years of the YAF, while utilizing

the opportunity to learn what the key topics of concern are for the

recently licensed architects. Similar to the Summit 15, we will be

involving a variety of speakers and attendees, to keep the discussion

as informed as possible.

The Advisory Committee and the YARDs will meet at the 2012

Grassroots conference for their annual meeting. We will be discussing

the year’s upcoming planned activities as well as opportunities to be

mentors and leaders in our communities and within the profession.

Throughout the year we will continue to have our conference

calls. Our Chair, Vice Chair and Past Chair have a weekly call with AIA

Staff. The AdCom and YARDs have monthly calls to share knowledge

and information throughout the YAF network. There are also sub-

committee calls among the volunteers.

The YAF will continue to work on many activities throughout

the upcoming year including the following:

Ideas Competition 2012 – This is again a joint effort with the AIA

Committee on Design (COD). The competition will have a focus on

a community development project. The sponsor this year is USG.

The competition submissions will be displayed at the Spring COD

conference in Columbus, Indiana. The submissions will be juried

at this time, as well as voted on by the public for a People’s Choice

award.

Mentoring Initiative – We are looking forward to developing the

next round of webinars. These will incorporate a variety of

influential COF and YAF speakers. This 2011 year-end report was created by the YAF 2011 Chair, Adam Palmer, AIA for the national AIA Board of Directors. It was published in College of Fellows Fellowscope 91 released in December 2011.

2011 and 2012 YAF Advisory Committee members, Left to Right: Derek Webb AIA, Joseph Benesh AIA, Virginia Marquardt AIA, Matthew Dumich AIA, William J. Stanley, III FAIA (COF Liaison), Brad Benjamin AIA, Jennifer Workman AIA, Kevin Fitzgerald AIA (AIA Staff), Adam Palmer AIA, Deepika Padam AIA, Jason Dale Pierce AIA. Not pictured - Sean Stadler AIA. Picture taken at AIA Chicago during YAF AdCom Fall Transition Meeting.

Image by Erin Murphy AIA (AIA Staff)


59

The Young Architects Forum (YAF) Advisory Committee (AdCom) consists of eight young architects working in association with the College of Fellows (COF) Executive Committee. The YAF AdCom is specifically charged with carrying out national level YAF programs and serving as liaison with other AIA committees and allied organizations.

Leadership2012 YAF ADV ISORY

COMMITTEE

Chair: Jennifer Workman, AIAJennifer A. Workman, AIA is a licensed architect for Good Fulton & Farrell Architects in Dallas,

Texas. Jennifer received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and focused

her studies on various museums throughout the world. These early analyses assisted her when she

was selected by GFF to work alongside Morphosis Architects on the design of the new Perot Museum

of Nature & Science in their Los Angeles office. Following almost two years in California, she returned

to Dallas, Texas to work on the construction site of the iconic museum.

Aside from the museum, Jennifer’s most important contributions to the profession have come

in the form of her volunteer work for the AIA at the local, state, and national levels. In Dallas, Jennifer

has devoted her time to the Dallas Tour of Homes, Publications Committee, Honors Committee, and

Publicity Committee. She has served as a chair on the Associates Committee, the Young Architects

Forum, and the Ken Roberts Delineation Competition which is one of the longest architectural

drawing competitions in the world. At the Texas Society of Architects she served four straight years

as a voting board member as the Dallas Director and the Texas Regional Associates Director to the

National Associates Committee. She also served on the jury for the Texas Architectural Foundation

and was involved with the Membership Services Committee, Honors Committee, the Continuing

Education Committee, and served as a Publicity Committee Chair for the TSA Convention in Dallas in 2011. Nationally, Jennifer is serving as the

2012 Chair of the Young Architects Forum. She has been involved with the YAF since 2009 when she became the Communications Advisor serving

as the editor for the bi-monthly publication which was sent to over 22,000 members.

Vice Chair: Brad Benjamin, AIABrad Benjamin, AIA, LEED AP is an architect and the founder of Radium Architecture, a firm in

Greenville, SC, which works to bring purpose to the built environment by designing more sustainable

& socially responsible places. He graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in

Design, a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science and Management, and a Masters of Architecture.

Brad has consistently demonstrated exceptional initiative, enthusiasm, and commitment on

the local, state, regional, and national levels for the AIA. He has served on the National Associates

Committee, the AIA Board Knowledge Committee, the Strategic Planning Advance, the Emerging

Professionals Companion Advisory Committee, and the YAF 15 Summit committee. He currently

serves as state IDP Coordinator and Past President for AIA Greenville. Brad is a previous recipient of

the AIA’s Associate Member of the Year Award. Keenly aware of the importance of architecture in his

community’s growth and development, Brad has made a personal commitment to lend his creative

talents and problem solving abilities to many local community boards and organizations to which he

serves as an exceptional representative of his profession. He serves on the United Way, Leadership

Greenville Board of Regents, Pecha Kucha Night Grenville, and Architecture for Humanity Greenville.

Past Chair: Adam Palmer, AIAAdam Palmer, AIA is a Project Manager and Associate with Schmidt Associates, Inc. in Indianapolis,

Indiana. Adam is a registered Architect in the State of Indiana (2002). Adam received both his Bachelors

of Environmental Design (1995) and his Bachelors of Architecture (1997), from Ball State University.

Adam maintains his NCARB Certification and is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Adam has been fortunate to have had opportunities to practice architecture in a variety

of firm types, sizes and disciplines. Adam has also worked on a variety of building types and sizes,

including health care and education projects. The projects have ranged from a few hundred square

feet renovations to thousands of square feet of multi-story, new construction projects. These various

projects have provided him the opportunity to also serve in a variety of roles for his clients including:

master planner, designer, architect, project manager, program manager and owners’ representative.

Adam's primary interests rest in mentoring, leadership, licensure, practice management and

technology. Adam has served on the local level as the President Elect of the Central Kentucky Chapter

prior to moving to Indianapolis. In Indianapolis he is currently serving as a Delegate for the Indianapolis

chapter. At the regional and national level, Adam served with the Young Architects Forum (YAF) as a

Regional Liaison to the Ohio Valley Region for four years. Adam then went on to serve as the 2010 Vice‐

Chair, and subsequently the 2011 Chair of the YAF National Advisory Committee. During his tenure as the YAF Chair, he served as a juror on various

award juries. Adam has also served on Board of Directors for a variety of organizations outside of the AIA.

Programs Advisor: Matthew Dumich, AIAMatthew Dumich, AIA is a licensed Architect and project manager with Valerio Dewalt Train

Associates in Chicago, Illinois. His professional experience includes new and renovated commercial

and mixed-use buildings. Matt has a collaborative approach to the design and management of each

project working closely with his clients, consultants and contractors. Matt holds Bachelor and Master

degrees in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM) and serves on the Board

of Trustees for the UWM Alumni Association. In 2008 he was honored with the Graduate of the Last

Decade (GOLD) Award from the UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Matt is dedicated to promoting design quality, professional development, and networking for

emerging design and construction professionals. He currently serves on the AIA National YAF Advisory

Committee and the AIA Chicago Board of Directors. Previously, Matt was the YAF Regional Liaison

for Illinois and Chairman of the AIA Chicago YAF. In 2011 he Chaired the AIA National Membership

Marketing Task Force focusing on engaging emerging professionals. Matt is the founder of the AIA

Chicago Bridge mentoring program and the AIA Illinois Council for Emerging Professionals. He is

frequently invited to speak about architecture and design at local, state and national conferences. Matt

was recognized with the 2011 Building Design + Construction 40 Under 40 award.

Young Architect Regional Directors Advisor: Jason Dale Pierce, AIAJason Dale Pierce, AIA, LEED AP currently sits on the Young Architects Forum Advisory Committee as

the Young Architect Regional Directors Advisor. Jason received his Professional Architecture degree from

Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. He is a member of the AIA Practice Management Knowledge

Community and sits on the editorial board for aecKnowledge. He recently served as Co-Chair of the

AIA San Francisco Mentorship Committee and chaired the Long Range Planning committee for AIA

California Council in 2010. He also served as Vice President of the Academy of Emerging Professionals

with AIA California Council from 2008 through 2009. A former recipient of the National Jason Pettigrew

Memorial ARE Scholarship and honored with the AIA San Francisco's Associate of the Year Award in

2008, Jason also served as the YAF Regional Director for Central States from 2003 through 2005.

A project architect with HOK in St. Louis he is currently working on the modernization of the Byron

G. Rogers Federal office building with the United States General Services Administration in Denver,

Colorado. Jason strongly believes in strengthening mentorship in the profession and strives to develop

this need in everything he does from his day to day work with his project team, his involvement in

his local AIA chapter all the way up through his position on the National YAF Advisory Committee.


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Communications Advisor: Deepika Padam, AIADeepika Padam, AIA, LEED AP is a Senior Designer/Project Manager with Heller Manus Architects

at San Francisco, CA. Her previous professional experience is with the firms of Neelkanth Chhaya,

Payette Associates, Perlman Architects, and Tate Snyder Kimsey in varied roles of Designer, Architect,

Project Manager, and Sustainability Director. Her design experience includes civic, educational, public,

commercial, and mixed-use facilities. She is passionate about green building and is responsible for LEED

Certification of multiple projects. Deepika received her Bachelor of Architecture from the Guru Nanak

Dev University and Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan. She is NCARB certified.

Deepika served as the AIA Las Vegas President in 2010, the first woman to serve as President with

the Chapter. She served as the USGBC Nevada President in 2009 and taught LEED classes for many

years. Deepika is the Founder and Past Chair for AIA Las Vegas Emerging Professionals/Young Architects

Forum. She has Chaired many committees and initiatives with local chapters of AIA and USGBC. She has

organized educational workshops at regional level, and regularly sits on design juries for architecture

schools. Deepika is the Communications Advisor for AIA National YAF, serving as the Editor for YAF

Connection bimonthly e-magazine and Young Architects Award Book. Deepika was awarded AIA

Nevada Associate Award in 2007 and the AIA Nevada Young Architect Award in 2008. She has been

named Who’s Who of Las Vegas by In Business and featured in the Las Vegas Business Press. Deepika is interested in increasing global ties of AIA

and her professional life while staying connected with her passion for design excellence. She enjoys writing, blogging, and making presentations.

Events Advisor: Virginia Marquardt, AIAVirginia E. Marquardt is an architect at DLR Group’s Santa Monica, California office with experience

leading educational, justice, and municipality teams as a project manager and project architect. She

has held leadership positions at the local level as AIA-Phoenix Metro’s Associate Director, Emerging

Professional Director, YAF Committee Chair, Board of Director, Secretary and Treasurer and has been a

member of Architecture Week, Membership and Advocates committees. At the regional level, she was

AIA-Western Mountain Region’s Young Architect Regional Director from August 2007-2011. In 2009,

Virginia was asked to serve on the sub-committee for the 2010 AIA-National Convention Education

Committee reviewing abstracts and in 2010 as the Emerging Professional representative for AIA’s Center

for Integrated Practice Leadership. Currently, she is serving as the Events Advisor for AIA National YAF

and sits on the AIA-National’s Education Committee.

She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Louisiana Tech University (cum laude) and is

a licensed professional in Arizona as well as a LEED accredited professional and Construction Document

Technologist (CDT). Virginia is the recipient of AIA-Arizona’s Young Architects Citation Award (2009)

and AIA-Western Mountain Regions’ Jason Pettigrew Associate AIA Memorial Leadership Scholarship,

(2005).

Public Relations Advisor: Joseph Benesh, AIAJoseph R. Benesh, AIA, NCARB, CDT, LEED AP, is currently a K-12 Focus Market Leader and Project

Manager for RDG Planning + Design in Des Moines, Iowa. In this role, Joe is responsible for the

design, documentation, and overall project management of buildings spanning a variety of sizes and

complexities. He actively participates in marketing and project leads, develops presentations, fosters

and nurtures client relationships, facilitates project scheduling and budgeting, as well as bidding and

construction administration.

Joe has been actively involved in AIA member groups and initiatives for more than twelve years,

serving in a variety of leadership positions at the local, state, and regional levels. He will serve as the

2012 AIA Iowa Director of Public Relations and the Young Architects Forum Public Relations Advisor. In

2010 Joe promoted the addition of a large subsection of the AIA Miami website redesign to Emerging

Professionals. Joe has also held leadership positions with the AIA National Associates Committee.

Joe received his Bachelor of Architecture from Iowa State University. He holds an NCARB certificate

and is currently licensed in Illinois and Florida.

created programs about mentorship, leadership, and networking

for the architects licensed ten years or fewer. My venture to create a

successful YAF program in Dallas caught the attention of the national

YAF and in 2009 I was selected as the Communications Advisor to

the YAF Advisory Committee. While serving as Communications

Advisor I was named the Dallas Director to the TSA Board. As the

Director it was important for me to wear two hats: that of my

chapter but also as a young architect and the youngest member of

the board. After serving for two years as both the Dallas Director

and the Communications Advisor, I was elected as the national YAF’s

Vice Chair. This past year I served as the Chair for the AIA Dallas Ken

Roberts Architectural Delineation Competition and the Publicity

Committee for the TSA Convention which was in Dallas in 2011. It

has been important for me be a part of the AIA at the local, state

and national levels because each one makes its own impact on the

profession.

As Chair of the YAF my biggest role will be to host the YAF 20

Summit at AIA Grassroots in Washington DC this March. The Summit

is open to invited guests who are leaders in the field of architecture

and interested in guiding the direction of the YAF through the next

5 years. It is a crucial time to determine a young architect’s needs

as 45% of AIA membership consists of baby-boomers who will

need succession plans as they retire from committees, boards, and

the profession. The YAF needs your involvement in several of our

endeavors in 2012; most important is your response to our survey

(see Page 20). This survey is to help the YAF understand who the

architects licensed ten years or less really are and what issues they

are facing. Additionally, we ask a question for you to answer: What

is the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity that young

architects will face in the next 5 years? Selected responders will be

given the chance to attend the 20 Summit in DC this March and

participate in the planning of the next 5 years.

The Young Architects Forum is the voice of architects in the

early stages of their career and the catalyst for change within the

profession. I hope you will follow our activities as we aim to make

your experience with the AIA as fruitful as possible.

By Jennifer A. Workman, AIA

Jennifer A. Workman, AIA is the 2012 Chair of the National Young Architects Forum. She has served on the YAF Advisory Committee since 2009. Jennifer is a licensed architect with Good Fulton & Farrell Architects in Dallas, Texas.

LeadershipLOOK ING AHEAD AT 2012

AS I TAKE on the role of the 2012 Chair of the Young Architects

Forum, I have to be fully aware of the 22,000 AIA members we

represent. If it weren’t for the energetic and talented group of

architects licensed ten years or less who serve on committees at the

local, state, and national levels, we wouldn’t have made the progress

we have today. As the YAF celebrates its 20th anniversary, the Forum

is at a pivotal moment in its history. Though it’s imperative for the

YAF to move forward, it is also vital to do so in a way that recognizes

the Forum is part of an extraordinary story to which we owe an

obligation of care.

My journey to the national YAF began in Dallas in 2005 when

I went to work for Good Fulton & Farrell Architects. They gave me

every chance to make what I wanted out of my career through

projects and professional service with the AIA. Without that

support I wouldn’t have gone far in this volunteer organization. I

worked with several different project types before finding a love in

institutional projects. In 2008 I was given the opportunity to work

alongside Morphosis on the new Dallas Perot Museum of Nature &

Science. I spent almost two years in their Los Angeles office working

on the design and then went to work full time on the construction

site. It has been an immeasurable experience to help create what

will become one of Dallas’ most iconic projects.

Aside from the museum, I have the most pride in my

development with the AIA. In 2005 I joined the AIA and saw the need

for emerging professionals to have a voice on committees and boards

at AIA Dallas. I became the chair of the Associates committee and

instituted the A.R.E. Success Team which helped almost 30 interns

become licensed within 7 months. It was then that I won the Dallas

AIA’s Associate of the Year Award. The following year I became the

Regional Associate Director (RAD) to the Texas Society of Architects

(TSA) which allowed me to be a voting member on the TSA board and

represent all interns in Texas at the National Associates Committee

(NAC) in Washington D.C. During this time as RAD, I served on

the TSA Continuing Education, Membership and Services, and

Honors Committees. Once I achieved licensure, I reinstituted

YAF in Dallas, which had been abandoned over the years. I


63


East Skylight looking at Dallas Perot Museum of Nature & Science tower. Image Credit: Jennifer Workman

LeadershipYAF COMMUNICAT IONS 2012 ADV ISORY GROUP

Donna Kacmar, FAIADonna Kacmar, FAIA is an award winning architect and an Associate Professor at the University of Houston

College of Architecture where she teaches design studio, coordinates the technology curriculum, and runs the

Material Research Collaborative. She is currently the treasurer of the Architecture Center Houston Foundation

and a State Representative to the College of Fellows.

Nicholas Peckham, FAIANicholas Peckham, FAIA, LEED AP began his understanding of world issues while

attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy. There he got a firsthand

view of Earth and her cultures while working on merchant ships. Going to graduate school at Penn with Lou Kahn for

the M. Arch and the PhD program with Bucky Fuller firmed up the understanding, “We are all in this together.” Nick’s

worldview shaped his practice. He co‐founded Peckham & Wright Architects in 1978. www.PWArchitects.com shows

some of his work.

Robert Selby, FAIARobert I. Selby, FAIA is a Principal in private practice since 1971 and has taught in the design division of the

School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 1984. He retired from the faculty

in May of 2009 and continues with his practice. He has served on the AIA board at local, regional and national

levels. He served as a Regional Representative of the AIA College of Fellows from 2007-2010 and is currently

editor of Fellowscope, the electronic newsletter of the COF.

William J. Stanley, III, FAIAWilliam J. Stanley, III, FAIA, NOMAC is the founding Principal of Stanley, Love

Stanley, P.C. Mr. Stanley is the Bursar of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects, the Past

President of AIA Georgia and the 1995 recipient of the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Citation. In 1999, AIA Georgia

bestowed upon him the Bernard Rothschild medal – the state’s highest award. AIA Atlanta awarded him the

Ivan Allen Senior Trophy in 2011, given to architects who make great service contributions to the community.

Brett Charles Taylor, AIABrett Charles Taylor, AIA, LEED AP is a graduate of Norwich University in Vermont. He is an associate director

with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago working primarily in the Middle East region. Brett has served the

AIA as the YAF Illinois Regional Liaison, the YAF Regional Liaison Advisor for the AdCom, and on the AIA Chicago

executive board.

Sean Stadler, AIASean Stadler, AIA, LEED AP is a Design Principal and Associate Principal at WDG

Architecture. A graduate of Kent State University, Sean is currently serving on the AIA DC Board of Directors and

Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s Professional Advisory Board. He has

served as the Chairman of the AIA National Young Architects Forum (YAF) and the Intern/Associate Committee

(NAC), and is a recipient of the 2011 AIA Young Architects award.


65

LeadershipYAF COMMUNICAT IONS

2012 SUB -COMMITTEE

Editor-in-Chief: Deepika Padam, AIADeepika Padam, AIA, LEED AP is a Senior Designer/Project Manager with Heller Manus Architects at San Francisco.

She has served as the AIA Las Vegas President, AIA Nevada Executive Board Member, and USGBC Nevada

President. Deepika is the current Communications Advisor for AIA National YAF, serving as the Chief Editor for

YAF Connection and Young Architects Award Book. Her writing has been published in local and national journals

and she has been recognized with awards for service to the profession.

Managing Editor: Christina Noble, AIAChristina Noble, AIA, LEED AP owns her practice, Contour Architecture, located in Phoenix, Arizona. Christina

has served as the Editor for AIA National Associates Committee publication, Forward. She currently serves as the

Forward Senior Director and Chair of the Forward Advisory Board. Her writing has appeared in Texas Architect

Magazine, The Arizona Republic, and Forward: Architecture and Design Journal.

Assistant Editor: Josh Flowers, AIAJosh Flowers, AIA, LEED AP is the 2012 President of AIA Memphis and the YAF Regional Liaison for the Gulf

States Region. A registered architect and licensed attorney, Josh is General Counsel of Hnedak Bobo Group in

Memphis, Tennessee. Josh received Bachelor of Architecture and Juris Doctor Degrees from the University of

Tennessee where he served as editor of the Tennessee Law Review. He is a national speaker and writer on legal

issues related to architectural practice.

Assistant Editor: Bonnie Sen, AIABonnie Sen, AIA, LEED AP is an architect at Gensler in Washington, DC. Originally from India, she grew up moving

around the United States, and believes this is the reason she has permanent wanderlust. She has previously

served in the editorial sub-committee for AIA National Associates Committee's newsletter, AssociateNews.

Graphic Designer: OpenMarketing Manager: OpenNews Editor: Open

Contact the editor at [email protected] if you are interested in an open position.

Thanks to YAF Connection Sponsor: AIA TRUST

Starting Out? Need Help? Call AIA TrustJust starting out? Going it alone? Enjoy the support of the AIA Trust and its all-new webinar of programs and special offers for new starter firms. If you’ve started

your own firm within the last year, then help is on the way. In this 8-minute webinar, AIA Members who are starting firms can learn about AIA Trust programs designed for firms including some very special new benefits such as free insurance, fee waivers, free publications, and more!

Visit the all-new AIA Trust website www.TheAIATrust.com to benefit from a wealth of resources such as risk management white papers, articles &publications; liability insurance data and comparisons; SATs for LU credits-and now a special program overview with new money-saving benefits designed for the new “starter” firm! Please note that firm eligibility requirements and some limitations apply. got questions? call 202-626-7376 or e-mail: [email protected]


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YAF Connection March 2012 issue will be a “Visual Journal” of your favorite photographs, sketches and artwork. Send your images to the editor at [email protected] by January 31.

For the love of... PICTURE PERFECT

2012 YAF ADVISORY COMMITTEE

2012 ChairJennifer Workman, AIA

Vice ChairBrad Benjamin, AIA, CSI, LEED AP

Past ChairAdam W. Palmer, AIA, LEED AP

Programs AdvisorMatthew M. Dumich, AIA

Communications AdvisorDeepika Padam, AIA, LEED AP bd+c

Young Architect Regional Directors AdvisorJason Dale Pierce, AIA, LEED AP

Events AdvisorVirginia Marquardt, AIA, LEED AP, CDT

Public Relations AdvisorJoseph R. Benesh, AIA, CDT, LEED AP

College of Fellows LiaisonWilliam J. Stanley, III, FAIA, NOMA

AIA Board RepresentativeWendy Ornelas, FAIA

AIA Staff Director, Emerging ProfessionalsErin Murphy, AIA, LEED AP

The American Institute of Architects Young Architects Forum1735 New York Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20006

http://network.aia.org/AIA/YoungArchitectsForum

WHAT IS THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM?

The AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF) gives AIA

members who have been licensed 10 years or less

a voice throughout the Institute. Approximately

23,000 AIA members are represented by the

YAF; our 25 volunteer leaders are Young Architect

members in the AIA national, regional, state,

and local components.

YAF programs, activities, and resources serve

young architects by providing information

and leadership; promoting excellence through

fellowship with other professionals; and

encouraging mentoring to enhance individual,

community, and professional development.

All YAF members receive a national publication,

the bimonthly Connection newsletter. Members

also receive electronic communications from the

YAF social networking accounts on Facebook and

LinkedIn. Additionally, they have access to the YAF

page on the AIA.org website.

Documents

YAF Connection 10.01 Issue