aiapv » AIAPV News

Custom Residential Architects Network Launched

admin — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 21:36:57 +0000

The AIA Potomac Valley chapter, together with AIADC and AIA Northern Virginia, is pleased to announce the launch of the National Capital Area CRAN (Custom Residential Architects Network). The official kick-off took place May 1 at the District Architecture Center (DAC) with a well-attended program, “How to Get Published: A Panel Discussion”. Our distinguished panel included S. Claire Conroy, Editor in Chief, Residential Architect magazine; Sharon Jaffe Dan, Editor in Chief, Home&Design magazine; and Judy Davis, Photographer, Hoachlander Davis Photography. Residential architect Randall Mars, an AIA Northern Virginia member and founding member of the new CRAN group, was the moderator.

The Custom Residential Architects Network grew out of a conviction among the three National Capital-area chapters’ leaders that local architects can reap great mutual benefits from opportunities to collaborate and network. CRAN is the first, and perhaps the most obvious, formal tri-chapter initiative to take shape. Nationally, CRAN is the fastest growing group within the AIA’s Residential Knowledge Community. Bringing CRAN to our local residential architects is a great way to address the unique issues related to custom residential practice, while also serving a body of architects that has lacked the common resources often available to larger firms and other, more specialized architectural firms. As a forum, it provides for the exchange of ideas, concerns, successes, failures, resources, and more that affect residential practice; and it provides continuing education opportunities with programs that are relevant to custom residential designers.

The small Tri-chapter CRAN steering committee, made up of residential architects from all three chapters, is itself an example of what happens when you bring residential architects—many of them used to practicing alone or in small firms–together. The group has been meeting since the beginning of the year to brainstorm, plan for, and shape the CRAN group and its programs. In our discussions, we’ve shared the trials and tribulations of our own practices and have discovered first-hand how much we can learn from one another by talking amongst ourselves.

In fulfillment of the mission of AIA CRAN, future programs will embrace the goals of public outreach and education, academic and professional advocacy, and will provide relevant continuing education seminars relevant to residential designers. We invite all interested area architects whose practices include custom residential design to join us. In the near future, we will be launching our own CRAN website, which will cross-link with all three AIA chapters’ websites. We will blog about our goings-on and advertise upcoming events. The next program in our bi-monthly series is scheduled to take place July 10 and will be hosted by AIA Potomac Valley; look for an announcement in the near future. Please email me at helen.wilkes@aiapv.org; include name, phone number, and chapter affiliation if you’re interested in being included in our emailings.

We’re also looking for a few bright minds to work with the steering committee to shape the vibrant CRAN group we’re building. If the shoe fits, we invite you to join us in this exciting and rewarding new venture.

Helen Crettier Wilkes, AIA
Chairman, National Capital Area CRAN

Scott’s Thoughts – ARE Revival

admin — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:51:38 +0000

Maybe my cosmos is askew, but are the AREs back in vogue these days? I suppose it’s the economy: back in the heyday of the aughts, jobs went begging and perhaps some lacked motivation to get licensed. The obstacles to registration are legend and abiding, from the expense, to the study time, to a perceived lack of incentives from employers. But if you ask me, the greatest barrier is the lost sense of a group effort that has been brought on by testing centers, which facilitate procrastination and isolation. Perhaps the Great Recession dug its spurs in, but it seems that there is a resurgence of graduates who really DO want to be architects. That’s great! If you are taking the plunge, take advantage of the Chapter’s resources – study guides, ARE prep sessions, and most importantly people willing to share their knowledge and recent test experiences.

Scott’s Thoughts – Beyond Grassroots

admin — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:56:11 +0000

Last week was the annual assault of the architecture profession’s leadership on Capitol Hill, mission code name: "Grassroots." We spoke with your 
representatives about finding ways to give tuition relief on parity with some other professions to architectural graduates who provide community 
service via design. We asked them to balance any tax reform so as not to disadvantage small pass-through businesses; to renew the 179D Energy 
Tax Credits; and to simplify design-build procurement.

As important and invigorating as those conversations may be, the real action came later when Arthur Cohen of La Placa Cohen and Michael Beirut 
of Pentagram presented their research and the framework of a proposal for repositioning AIA itself. You really must watch this short video 
unveiling the proposed new manifesto VIDEO  

(Read more about the Repositioning effort here.)

We are America’s architects. We are working to make a better world. More to come.

Member News

admin — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:42:30 +0000

John M. Hill, CEO of Grimm + Parker Architects, was named Planner of the Year by the Virginia Educational Facility Planners (VEFP), 
the group's highest honor, for educational facility planning excellence.

Creative Xchange

admin — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:36:48 +0000

Thursday, Feb. 21 was the Emerging Professionals Committee’s first Cocktails + Creative Exchange at McGinty’s Public House in Silver Spring. Members and non-members showed up with 8.5 x 11 prints of their creative work and laid them out for display. These printed works spurred people to talk about each other’s work in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. The work we saw was not only limited to architecture, but extended into photography, art, and fashion! Joseph Lai, Emerging Professionals Chair

LEAF HOUSE LAB

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:42:05 +0000

Much needed maintenance on the LEAFHouse has begun with the first project involving the restoration of the louver doors on the south face of the main room. The doors were removed, refinished, missing louver slats were replaced or repaired and aluminum cap flashing was installed. Additional cable hardware was added to provide diagonal bracing and a center support bar dwas esigned and installed to reduce the warping of the individual louvers in these “oversized shutters”

LEAFHouse doors before

LEAFHouse doors after

The Potomac Valley Architectural Foundation has identified several efforts, such as renovation of the green wall, to restore or maintain the systems that make the LEAFHouse such a unique structure. If you would like to assist in future projects, please contact Randy Davis, Chairman of the PVAF LEAFHouse Committee.

Facade Forensics

admin — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:25:08 +0000

The November 29 program on “facade forensics” by structural engineer Michael Drerup of Walter P. Moore proved to be a popular draw. Who knew that the detective work of discovering and evaluating failures of building envelopes would attract such a large audience? Attendees to the Rockville library presentation were fascinated by Mike’s case studies and tales of the many things that can go wrong with a building’s envelope. He demonstrated through a power point presentation how a forensic specialist goes about the methodical work of discovering the sources of facade and roof problems. The goal is usually to resolve structural or materials issues in order to preserve or restore–or, in some cases, to redesign–the failed parts of a building’s envelope. At the end of his presentation, Mike was peppered with questions related to skin issues familiar to individual audience members. As demonstrated by the depth of discussion, this is clearly a subject of interest to many architects and affiliates, and the chapter will schedule additional programs in the future to accommodate our members’ sense of thrall with the subject.

Small Practice Group: Sustainable Bath and Kitchen Design

admin — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:20:54 +0000

The Small Practice Group (SPG), which meets once a month for continuing education programs and tours, enjoyed a festive year-end presentation at the new Thos. Somerville showroom on Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase Lake on Friday, December 14. Attendees were treated to a lunch and learn about recent advances in sustainable kitchen and bath design by Mandy Miller, a representative of Kohler Company. For more information about SPG meetings, which are usually held on the last Friday of each month at 8:15 AM in various members’ offices, please consult the chapter calendar, or contact Laurie Kawa, SPG Coordinator, at LLKawa@aol.com.

Email Address Change

admin — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 13:32:57 +0000

Our former domain (aiapvc.org) has closed. Please update your records to: adorough@aiapv.org, info@aiapv.org, and http://www.aiapv.org. Thank you!

Got Photos?

admin — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 02:32:15 +0000

Take any nice shots at one of AIAPV’s events over the past year? Share them with us, and if we publish it, we will make sure you get the credit for your creation! Send submissions to info@aiapv.org.