Spring Newsletter 2023

ARCHITECTURE WEEK: May 23 - May 30!

This is our first in-person Architecture Week in a four years, and we’re EXCITED! Tour award winning projects, grab a drink with friends, or enjoy a movie night on us! We can’t wait to see you at one of our events.

SCHEDULE

TUE May 23 TOUR the Award Winning CODE Building (1 HSW | LU)
Join Wolf Ackerman and Hourigan Construction for a tour of the Center of Developing Entrepeneurs (CODE) building - winner of the 2023 AIA National Honor Award and certified LEED Platinum. This 10-story 215,000 SF commercial office building on Charlottesville’s historic pedestrian mall includes a 15,000 SF co-working suite, auditorium, and retail food stalls - and it’s a case study in green building.

Learn how the design improves occupant health and recycles over 45% of the stormwater on site - while reducing its carbon footprint and energy use relative to industry benchmarks. Earn 1 HSW LU. Reception to follow in the lobby!!

THU May 25 MOVIE NIGHT at the Violet Crown!
Let us take you to the movies! For this year’s Architecture Week we’re bringing back Movie Night. Let’s meet at the bar for drinks and snacks then head to our private screening of an award-winning architecture film.

TUE May 30 TOUR - Apex Plaza, a Net Positive Mass Timber Project (1 HSW | LU)
Join William McDonough + Partners, Hourigan Construction, and Apex Clean Energy for a tour of Charlottesville's first mass-timber office building! At 187,000 SF, this multi-tenant office building is the tallest mass-timber building on the east coast.

Learn how the team designed, coordinated, and built this net-energy-positive office building, while balancing Cradle to Cradle Certified material choices, occupant health, and rooftop solar and stormwater systems. Earn 1 HSW LU. Enjoy appetizers + drinks

> See Calendar for details

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS

Visit UVA facilities management

In February, the Emerging Professionals group attended a panel discussion with leaders from UVA Facilities Management. Facilities Management supports the University of Virginia’s wide range of research, academic and patient care programs. With over 1,200 employees, Facilities Management is responsible for the day to day operation repair and maintenance of UVA’s buildings, infrastructure and grounds as well as other University-owners and leased properties.

The panel consisted of Jennifer Heckman, Manager of Geospatial Engineering Services; Amy Eichenberger, Senior Project Manager with Project & Construction Management Services; Scott Clough, Associate Director for Design Services; Ryan Taylor, Assistant Director of Maintenance; Andrea Trimble, Sustainability Director in the Office for Sustainability; and Ben Hays, University Building Official.

After introductions, the panel described the many parts of Facilities Management and how they work in concert to serve present needs while assessing and adapting to the needs of tomorrow. Innovation and sustainability were emphasized as key strategies for preserving the long-term interests of the University. As each panelist described their journey to their current role UVA, the discussion broadened to include stories of switched majors, career transitions, passion vs. burnout, informal connections leading to careers, balancing personal and professional goals, and how chasing arcane interests can lead to new opportunities.

It was a fantastic, interesting and humanizing look at the team that keeps UVA not just running but constantly improving.

Many thanks to the panel and board members Sidney Griffin, AIA and Jonathan Moore, AIA for organizing, and the other UVA community members in attendance!

AIA LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

This February I attended the AIA Leadership Summit (formerly Grassroots), AIA’s premier chapter leadership training event.  After two years of virtual gatherings, we were glad to connect in person in Washington DC for four days of learning, leadership and advocacy training, and Lobby Day on Capitol Hill.

AIA ADVOCACY ON CAPITOL HILL

I was thrilled to join the Virginia delegation and over 400 architects and AIA leaders from across the country for AIA Lobby Day, where we represented our chapters on Capitol Hill in support of bipartisan bills and tax reforms that are important to the profession:

• The Democracy in Design Act, would codify the U.S. General Services Administration’s “1962 Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture” and prohibit the federal government from mandating a national design style.

• The Resilient America Act, would increase allocations to FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program to allocate more funding for pre-disaster mitigation and to financially support municipalities to adopt modern building codes. 

• We asked all our representatives to support the bipartisan effort to return the 179D R&D tax credit to up-front reimbursal, instead of the current five-year amortization.

We were thankful for the time, attention, and enthusiasm of the representatives and legislative staffers we met, including Representatives Bob Good (R VA-05), Ben Cline (R VA-06), Don Beyer (D VA-08), and Senators Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D). We were pleased that members of both parties in both chambers are sponsoring the Democracy in Design Act, and to highlight our profession’s contribution to building resilient communities, and hope both bills will pass soon.

Lobbying for change on Capitol Hill can be stressful, but thanks to the planning, training, and clear talking points the AIA provided, it was a fun and deeply rewarding experience. I can’t wait to do more!
> Learn more about AIA advocacy and get involved

BECOMING CITIZEN ARCHITECTS

The Summit kicked off with a panel discussion featuring AIA leaders. AIA President Emily Grandsaff-Rice, FAIA, spoke about the role ‘citizen architects’ can play as policy advocates who harness design to address society’s most pressing challenges. Kevin Holland, FAIA, NOMAC, LEED AP, listed the top priorities for AIA: Climate Action, Future Economy, and Equitable Communities, reminding us all that “we want to do well while we do good.” > See video here

AIA EVP/CEP Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, spoke of building on past successes, streamlining our focus and priorities because “if you’re trying to be all things, you cannot execute and cannot be exceptional.” 

The first keynote speaker was Kim Lear, founder and CEO of Inlay Insights studies the impact of generational differences on communication, collaboration, and innovation. She spoke about the broad trends that influenced lives of recent generations from Baby Boomers (idealism born out of scarcity), to GenX (skeptical and self-reliant), Millennials (collaborative but risk averse), and GenZ (wellness and optimization). We explored the macro and micro trends that influenced individual’s lives, homes and families, and of course, the way we work. Through this constant flux, multi-generational offices need to understand how best to collaborate with and inspire one another, because “diverse leadership and talent ensures your business will exist in the future.” > See video here.

Workshops covered a variety of topics, from building effective teams, to promoting equity diversity and inclusion in your business and chapter, mental health and the built environment, balancing board and staff roles for chapter success, and how to collaborate with AIA National. In their workshop “Who Is In Charge”, Saskia Dennis-van Dijl and Janiece Willams discussed best practices for building successful intergenerational workforce. They led exercises to practice the rules of engagement for healthy communication, reminding us that while “passionate debate is great, personal comments are not productive.” Two concepts they shared have stuck with me:

We think at 1,300 to 3,000 words a minute, but we talk at 180. Active listening is a practice that can help bridge that gap by helping you remain present to receive a speaker's message – while avoiding getting lost in thought or preparing your response.

There are only four types of conversations (or meetings).  To have an effective conversation, make sure everyone’s clear what type you’re having and what the desired goals or outcomes should be.

• Relationship: Let’s talk about ‘us’

• Possibility: Ideate. What should we do?

• Opportunity: Narrow choices. Can we do it?

• Action: What do we do now?

LEADERSHIP IN CHANGING TIMES

AIA President-Elect Kimberly Dowdell, AIA led the final keynote, a conversation with Sheila C. Johnson.  Johnson is an accomplished entrepreneur and philanthropist who made significant contributions in the fields of entertainment, hospitality, and education. Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), which she helped to grow into a major media company, is also the founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, which operates luxury hotels and resorts throughout the United States. > See video here

Johnson is also a committed philanthropist who has donated millions of dollars to support educational and cultural programs. “You have to give back to the community where you’re working, because they will give so much back to you and your customers.” This generosity of spirt even extends to people and places that have attacked her with racial slurs and damaging campaigns, “I was scared, I hired security, but I knew if I quit it would be an example that stopped progress.”

Despite these setbacks, her continued generosity led some of her most vocal critics to apologize for their actions and seek to make amends. She believes that the people who attacked her “were in a silo, they lacked experience about the world.” But she believes that “the arts have the power to tell stories about what’s happening in the broader world, which can change hearts and expand minds.” Johnson's dedication to empowering and uplifting others is admirable, earning her numerous awards including the prestigious Horatio Alger Award in 2007. She credits her success in hospitality to her focus on people, “I want to build careers, not a business.” Her passion for making places where people feel at home has led to a very hands-on relationship with architects and designers.

Her parting words to the audience are worth repeating: “Good design works, but great design inspires. Make sure you bring people into your life who understand your vision, and who want to help get things done.”

GROWING THE PIPELINE

OPPORTUNITIES TO INVEST IN YOUR FIRM’S FUTURE

The architecture profession owes a great deal of gratitude to architecture schools for shaping students from ground zero to design heroes in a few short years. More often than I expected, I hear many students started their path to architecture in the same way I did.  I didn’t have a familial connection to architecture nor was there any encouragement to pursue architecture from anyone in my high school. It was luck that I found the idea of architecture remotely interesting while pursuing college programs in my junior year and discovered a great program at UVA to welcome me. 

Thankfully for the future of our industry, enrollments from NAAB accredited design programs are on the rise and graduation rates have rebounded after a pre-COVID slump (https://www.ncarb.org/nbtn2022/education).  Now in the middle of my career, I wonder if we as architecture professionals are doing enough today to continue encouraging that path and to help prepare the influx of talent that will take the lead in the future?  I am sure hiring new employees freshly minted from design schools is daunting for firm leaders who know that the spectrum of talent and experience runs a wide gamut.  Are you willing to invest in continuing their design education into their employment years?  Could we do something to help future applicant pools get started earlier on their education paths so that they gain a little more experience, are a little more prepared to solve design problems, and get a little more practice documenting designs beautifully before contributing to your firm in just a few short years from now? By participating in one or more of the three programs highlighted here, you will be wisely investing in those future designers well before they luckily find their way to an undergraduate or graduate Architecture program.  

ACPS’s Career Learning Communities

Albemarle County Public Schools is ambitiously setting out to help their high school students prepare for pathways to future occupations by aligning career interests with purpose-built curricula. The Career Learning Communities (CLCs) program will replace their existing system of academies which served a select few students in focused curricula at specific high schools around the county.  Space, staff, and transportation limitations kept the academies from being available to all students. Enrollment initially relied on an application process, replaced by a lottery system to make enrollment more equitable.  CLCs will be even more inclusive in providing any student with a desire to explore a career in their sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school. Career learning communities will also align Albemarle County’s career preparedness efforts with the U.S. Department of Education career clusters.  

The U.S. Department of Education identified 16 career clusters as occupational categories with industry-validated knowledge and skills statements that define what students need to know and be able to do in order to realize success in a chosen field. The state of Virginia expanded the number of career clusters by one to 17 by adding a career cluster for Energy. Of the 17, ACPS identified 11 career learning communities that resonate with student interests and area businesses for mentorship and internship opportunities.  The Architecture, Design & Urban Planning CLC will provide a broad brush education centered around design and idea presentation. Each community develops core knowledge that will be applicable to related career paths - over 24 in total. Students in the Architecture, Design & Urban Planning community will have opportunities to explore tangential professions like manufacturing, skilled trades, geospatial technology, and environmental sciences.   

ACPS is working to develop the curricula for these 11 career learning communities for rising sophomores in the Fall of 2023.  If you would like to join me in getting involved with the development of the program or would like to volunteer as a guest lecturer in the coming years, I invite you to take a look at ACPS Career Learning Communities website.

Compared with the 2020 U.S. Census data which identified 12.1% of our American population as Black, only 2.2% of our country’s licensed architects are Black.  For these 6th - 12th graders, seeing a cohort of designers - many who look like them and all who are motivated to help them succeed - encourages them to consider architecture as a potential future profession. 

This summer, the Virginia Chapter of NOMA will hold their Project Pipeline Summer Camp in-person July 17-21.  VANOMA Vice-President Crystal Miller-Liggon is leading the program development team and will be hosting the event at Brightpoint Community College where she is Department Chair for their Architectural Engineering Department.  Planning for the event is happening now and volunteer signup is currently open! I will tell you first hand that working with the students is awe-inspiring and encourages hope for our profession’s future!

UVA’s Design Discovery Summer Program

I met with Kyle Sturgeon, UVA School of Architecture’s Assistant Dean of Academic Support, a few weeks ago to catch up on his developments for a summer education program. What he talked about is now newly presented as the Design Discovery Summer Program, “a 6-day summer program hosted by the UVA School of Architecture that invites high school students of all backgrounds to unlock their creativity through design-thinking.” With an arsenal of design technology tools available and a deep well of design knowledge and teaching experience on tap, the Design Discover program will encourage 10th-12th grade students to explore design and fabrication while being exposed to professional design and construction environments and a diverse faculty and student fellow body. Student applications open April 1. The program begins the week of July 17.  An income-base tuition tier structure endeavors to encourage inclusivity and provides support for underrepresented groups.  Both full and subsidized tuition (6 full scholarships are available) will cover the cost of instruction, materials, and lunches.  Revenue from the program will directly support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion scholarships for SARC students.   

Call To Action

I will be doing everything I can to continue encouraging students of all backgrounds, especially the underrepresented, that architecture is a viable and valuable path to consider for their future in hopes that a few will realize their passion and potential sooner than I did.  I hope you are encouraged to become active participants in the development of our profession’s future through one of these local programs or any programs near you that will nourish a student’s appreciation for, and interest in, architecture. In return, you will be rewarded with the great feeling that giving back to your community brings and, who knows, you might spark relationships that will last a professional lifetime! 

NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

AIA Central Virginia > calendar

EP Tour: Rocktown High School, WED MAR 22, 12:00 - 1:30pm. Join Scott Eschbach, with Grimm + Parker, for a hard hat construction tour of Rocktown High School in Harrisonburg, VA - our first building tour in the Valley! Lunch will be provided.

EP Tour: Waterstreet Studio, THU MAR 30, 2023, 12:00 - 1:00pm. Come out and meet environmental designers Waterstreet Studio! Learn about their work, how site and landscape considerations impact projects, and tips for successful collaboration with consultants. See Waterstreet Studio’s website for more information about their firm and work. Lunch will be provided.

UVA: Climate Transformations Symposium, MON MAR 27 - TUE MAR 28, 2023. Our climate future demands transformation—a courageous and collective understanding of our world, novel approaches to living, and generous models of stewardship and intervention. Join us in Charlottesville for a two-day symposium that spotlights innovative design and climate research happening at the School of Architecture and beyond as a springboard for profoundly re-thinking how future generations will thrive.
> More information here

Charlottesville Design Week, TUE APR 4 - SAT APR 8, 2023. A week-long design festival, organized by volunteers at Tuesday Design Society, a local 501(c) non-profit. Events are designed for professionals and students in mind, but open to the public. Architecture events include a tour of the AIA award-winning CODE building, led by Wolf Ackerman, on Wednesday, April 5th, at 10am and a firm crawl and portfolio review on Thursday, April 6th.
> Register here

Lighting Virginia: CEU + Show + Social, WED APR 19, 4:30 - 7:30pm. Join Lighting Virginia - Charlottesville for an exciting event bringing together local creatives and designers. Converse, learn, and see displays featuring an inspiring palette of lighting products to illuminate your creativity. This catered event in the Old Metropolitan Hall will provide you and your guest with cocktails, mocktails, wine, or beer. Hors d’oeuvres served throughout the evening. 
The event will begin with an AIA HSW CEU!
> See details + Register here

UVA: Michael Méndez - Climate Change From the Streets, MON APR 24, 5:00 - 6:00pm. Assistant Professor of Environmental Planning and Policy at the University of California, Irvine, will speak about his work and study of Climate Change. This event is in-person only; it will be recorded and made available on UVA School of Architecture's
> UVA's Youtube Channel

AIA CV Architecture Week, TUE MAY 25, THU MAY 27, TUE MAY 30. A week-long design festival, organized by volunteers at AIA Central Virginia. Join us for a tour of the award-winning CODE Building (1 HSW | LU), a movie night at the Violet Crown, and a tour of Apex Plaza, Charlottesville’s first net-positive energy mass timber office building (1 HSW | LU).
> See details here

AIA Virginia

CSI Central VA: Construction Documents Technology Exam Prep Course, WED FEB 1 - WED APR 26, 2023. CSI Central Virginia is presenting a project delivery course starting Feb. 1st. The course is in preparation for the Construction Documents Technology Exam, but anyone interested in project delivery can benefit.
> Register here

The Art of Practice, FRI JUN 23, 2023 in Charlottesville VA. This year’s event will focus on preparing for economic stress and maintaining resilience. We will situate professional services within the context of various economic sectors and the forces and trends in the broader economy. A lawyer, an insurer, and a banker will offer advice on ways to improve financial posture and mitigate risk. A panel of colleagues will share the successes and failures of their attempts to anticipate/remediate the effects of trying times. And small, medium, and large firms will engage in roundtable discussions. 
> Learn more here

ArchEx ‘23: Call for Presentations, DUE FRI APR 14th. Architecture Exchange East is bringing together the brightest minds and most engaging speakers for AIA Virginia’s annual reunion of the profession.  We’re seeking polished presenters as well as fresh voices to share their research and expertise at ArchEx ‘23 in person in Richmond on Nov. 1–3, 2023. Deadline is April 14.
> Details and Proposal Form here

AEC Virginia Spring Conference, TUE APR 25 - WED APR 26 in Richmond VA. This conference bridges the architecture, engineering, and construction professions to collaborate, create and build for the future.  Our organizations are dedicated to helping attendees learn the latest trends and processes to contribute to their continued growth in projects and business planning. In addition, we are excited to bring together networking, education, and roundtables for the AEC industry!
> Register here

AIA National

AIA National ’23 AIA National Conference on Architecture will be in San Francisco this June 07-10.  Tour the Bay Area’s most exciting architectural masterpieces, connect with colleagues and friends, and learn about new products and services at the Expo. 
> Learn more + Register here!

YAF Mission 2130 Code Red Charrette Toolkit The AIA’s Young Architects Forum just released their ‘Mission 2130: Code Red Charrette Toolkit’ to expand upon their YAF Summit 30 initiative to crowd-source risks and opportunities related to the year 2130 and the built environment’s connection to planetary and human health
> Check it out

YAF Connection AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF) has a new newsletter
> Check it out