Icon of 20th-Century Architecture Philip Johnson Dies
As a young man and first Architecture Department director for the Museum of Modern Art, he shocked followers of architectural style with an exhibition of what he called the International School of Architecture. Critics of his architecture were often dismissive of his design work, yet his involvement in such classics as the Seagram Building in New York and the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., prove his mastery of Modernist form as well as theory. On January 25, the dean of American architects delivered his final shock. At 98, three months after announcing his retirement from his last firm, Philip Johnson/Alan Ritchie Architects, Philip Johnson, FAIA, died at home in New Canaan, Conn., in his Glass House.

GSA Chief Architect Feiner Moves to SOM
Edward A. Feiner, FAIA, whose 35-year federal career includes serving for the past nine as chief architect of the General Services Administration Public Buildings Service (GSA PBS), retires from that post January 31. Effective February 1, Feiner—well-known among his AIA colleagues for his exuberant defense of design excellence, as well as his signature Western boots—will take on a new position in the private sector as director of office operations for the Washington, D.C., office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Delightful Design and Divine Details Deservedly Honored in Minnesota
During the 70th AIA Minnesota annual convention in November, three nationally recognized architects chose the chapter’s 10 Honor Award recipients and one Divine Detail winner from among 119 submissions by Minnesota architecture firms. Jurors Jeanne Gang, AIA, Studio Gang Architects, Chicago; James Stewart Polshek, FAIA, Polshek Partnership Architects, New York City; and Ron Radziner, AIA, Marmol Radziner + Associates, Los Angeles, selected the following projects as award recipients.

Ehrman B. Mitchell Jr, FAIA, 1925–2005
Ehrman B. Mitchell Jr., FAIA, the 1979 president of the Institute and half of the internationally renowned firm Mitchell/Giurgola of Philadelphia, passed away January 18. He was a week shy of his 80th birthday. Mitchell’s long-term partnership with Romaldo Giurgola was a synergistic match that heightened the considerable talents of both men. Mitchell acknowledged Giurgola as the firm’s primary designer, while Mitchell himself was acknowledged by others as the business genius.

site watch
The Center for Communities by Design (CxD)
The Center for Communities by Design (CxD), serves as a clearinghouse for the AIA’s many activities—from promoting sustainable design to leading community design workshops—that influence quality of life in our nation's communities. Among CxD’s treasure trove of materials is a synopsis of the AIA’s first “Roundtable on Sustainable Design: Housing,” held last fall in Washington, D.C. The 33 participants spoke from the wide-ranging perspectives of architects; building-industry groups; and environmental, planning, housing, and government agencies and organizations. Read about how attendees took the first steps to forge a new network for meeting the challenges in pursuit of three central aspects of sustainability: economy, ecology, and equity.

AIA Component Leaders Highlight Value to the Profession
By demonstrating the value of the AIA to government officials, the public, and AIA members themselves, eight programs and one individual garnered recognition in three categories from a jury of AIA component leaders for the 2005 AIA Component Excellence Awards. The award program, in its 13th year, highlights best practices in government affairs, membership, and public affairs and communication and may be awarded to outstanding individuals, single programs, and overall programs. The 2005 CEA recipients will be honored February 9 at the AIA National Grassroots and Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

project watch
HGA Employs “Intimacy, Warmth, and Light” to Create New Ecumenical Chapel
The new Bigelow Chapel at the United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, Minn., by Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Inc., strives to recognize—in overall form, thoughtful materials use, and careful detail—the client’s request for a spiritually uplifting, ecumenical space for 250 worshipers. “The design for the building had to speak to “the eminence and presence of God,” says Wilson Yates, the seminary’s president. “Because the seminary serves a multi-denominational community of students, faculty, staff, and visitors, the sanctuary inside the building had to resonate with diverse people who are all exploring their own spiritual, inner lives.”

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only, AIA.org login required)
HR: Unemployment insurance rates will climb, but more slowly.
Health care: Demand will increase for specialty hospitals; ban expires in June.
The economy: Office vacancy declines as demand increases in many markets.
AIArchitect offers AIA members exclusive access to three stories a week to help them manage their practices and plan for the coming year. Nonmembers may subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.

Need to catch up on recent editions of AIArchitect This Week?
January 3 | January 10 | January 17 | January 24

best practices
Ten Principles on Design Communication
Marketing master Joan Capelin, Hon. AIA, offers 29 principles for communicating architectural achievement to clients in her latest book, Communication by Design: Marketing Professional Services. Here are 10 to get started: just do it, think as your client, follow the Golden Rule, watch your Netiquette, lose well, tell them who you are, nothing of value is free, think before you write, get connected, follow up beyond belief.

Architectural Graphic Standards Wants You!
Editor-in-Chief Andrew Pressman, FAIA, tells us that the 11th edition of Architectural Graphic Standards will combine a new vision with the great tradition of this classic work. Beyond practical information and generic drawings that answer architects’ basic questions, the new edition will offer innovative details and case studies intended to inspire excellence in both the performance and the poetics of building design. The new AGS will be organized around the UniFormat classification system; and the editors currently are searching for innovative detail appropriate for inclusion in “Element A: Substructure” section. Submit your detail by April 1 and you could become a prospective contributor to AGS and earn three learning units. See submission guidelines at www.aia.org.

New ASTM Standard Replaces Eight Gypsum Product Specs
As of December 1, a single ASTM International reference standard, “ASTM C 1396, Specification for Gypsum Board,” has replaced eight standards previously used to designate specific gypsum board products for commercial and residential construction. No technical changes have been made to the individual specifications incorporated into C 1396, which was established to avoid inadvertent inconsistencies in the requirements of individual products due to staggered document revision schedules. To facilitate a smooth transition to the new standard, the gypsum industry agreed in 1999 on a five-year phase-in period during which product labels and literature would project both the new standard and the original product specifications. For more information or to order the standard, visit ASTM’s Web page.

BSA Competition Seeks Socially Progressive Housing
The Boston Society of Architects introduces “In the Pursuit of Housing,” a national housing competition to promote excellence in socially progressive housing design by young designers. Through this competition, the BSA hopes to examine and celebrate the wide range of design approaches to contemporary housing challenges in urban, suburban, and rural communities worldwide. Undergraduate and graduate students currently in architecture school anywhere in the world and individuals who have earned their architecture degrees within the last five years are invited to submit entries by February 18. Download the Call for Entries from the BSA Web site.

AIA Officer Nominations Open; Filing Date Is March 18
Ten architects have declared their candidacy for three national AIA offices.

AIA CAREER CENTER
Here Are This Week’s Featured Opportunities

Special Price on Pricing:
For a limited time, the AIA store is offering the brand new 2005 Means Building Construction Cost Data to AIA members at the specially discounted price of $92.76 ($115.95 retail). Visit the AIA Store site or call 800-242-3837, option #4.

Check Out These New Programs: AIA eClassroom now has available 25 programs from the 2004 AIA national convention and four new programs from the recent international partnerships conference in New York City.

AIA Members Save with United Parcel Service (UPS): Save up to 20 percent on U.S. and international overnight air shipping with UPS, the world’s largest package-distribution company.
Call 800-325-7000, ext. 7600. Reference No. C-000-070-0037.

AIA Government Advocacy News: Join the list to receive the biweekly e-mail newsletter, a member benefit offering the latest local, state, and federal government actions impacting architects.

Limited Offer—Connect to ArchiWire Free: Take advantage of free use of Archiwire, the Institute’s new online news resource, while it lasts. The AIA will begin charging a small per-release fee in early 2005, so register online now and build a portfolio of your firm’s news.

Free Continuing Education: After reading the standards and other information on environmental issues and products, references, and more in each MASTERSPEC topic, licensed users can access online tests to earn AIA/CES learning-unit hours.

Save Time! AIA.org now features a trouble-shooting Knowledge Base to address your AIA Contract Documents software questions quickly and efficiently.

Members-Only Life Insurance: The AIA Term Life Insurance Program for Firms offers AIA member firms specially negotiated rates and benefits. For instance, if you employ 10 or more people, you are eligible for guaranteed enrollment, with a benefit of up to $50,000 per person. Click here for specific information about this program. For more information about all AIA Trust programs, visit their Web site.