work-on-the-boards
Off to a Running Start in 2004
Firms report strengthening residential and institutional markets, continued weakness in most commercial/industrial sectors
After declining billings for five of the past six months, architecture firms reported an increase in billings in January, reports Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. Because December traditionally is a slow month at firms, January billings typically rise, so business activity over the next few months will show whether this rebound will be sustained, he says. Firms report more work on the horizon; the index of inquiries for new projects showed its highest reading since March 2000, just before this construction recession.

BW/AR Awards Simplify
Entry Process
Entry deadline March 19;
submissions due April 16
BusinessWeek and Architectural Record (both publications of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.) and the AIA invite entries to the 2004 BusinessWeek/Architectural Record (BW/AR) Awards. Now in its eighth year, the BW/AR Awards honor client and architect teams that best use good design to achieve important objectives for organizations. As BusinessWeek editor Bruce Nussbaum noted, “Far more than a beauty contest, this competition judges architecture on how well it solves business problems.”

from the president’s office
3 x 8 = AIA
President Eugene C. Hopkin’s commentary last month focused on architecture—the inspiring architecture of the Library of Congress, site of his recent inauguration as the AIA’s 80th president. Acknowledging the power of architecture seemed the right place to lead off this series of commentaries, he says, just as the Jefferson Building in particular, where he began his professional career, was the right place to begin his year as president.

What’s Up Down South in the Upcountry?
AIA Greenville selects seven for
special accolades
AIA Greenville honored seven projects by architects in the upcountry of South Carolina with awards for excellence in architecture at the 2003 AIA Design Awards Banquet December 5 at the History Museum of Upcountry South Carolina. A jury from Tennessee selected the winners from a field of 33 submissions representing 13 architecture firms.

AIA/COTE Search for This Year’s Top Ten Green Projects
Early submissions due February 23; final submissions date is March 22
The AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects Web site, provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is now open to accept entries. The AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE), in partnership with DOE, invites you to use the site to submit built projects electronically. Ten projects will be selected by jury as best-practice examples of a high-performance, sustainable design approach.

PROJECT WATCH
SmithGroup Breaks Ground on Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Molecular Foundry
California nanotechnology center one of first in nation
SmithGroup and the State of California celebrated the groundbreaking of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Molecular Foundry on January 30. The Foundry, a landmark for the state, will serve as one of the few facilities in the country dedicated to nanotechnology, the study of materials at the atomic or molecular level. The 96,000-square-foot Molecular Foundry sits partially tucked into a hillside above the University of California, Berkeley, and its full-height windows allow principal investigators to enjoy spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay. Inside, interaction spaces support collaboration between researchers and link the laboratories at one end of the building with offices at the other.

AIA Officer Nominations Open; Filing Date Is April 12
Thirteen architects already have declared their candidacy for three national AIA offices.

The AIA Angle
The AIA Angle, the AIA members’ source for government news, offers these stories in the latest edition. Community Enhancement Issues Top Mayors’ ’04 Agenda: Architect-friendly issues such as homeland security, infrastructure improvements, smaller public high schools, and brownfields redevelopment are principal priorities; President’s FY2005 Budget Promotes Homeland Security, Tax Cuts: But proposals sacrifice HOPE VI, brownfields, and community development programs; AIA Associate Member Announces Bid for Massachusetts Statehouse: John Nunnari, Assoc. AIA, throws his hat in the ring. Visit the AIA Angle Web page.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only)
Asian markets: Japan is slowly regaining economic vitality. Urban renewal: Affluent Americans are rediscovering the benefits of urban living. Congress: In this election year, Congress will give more attention to domestic issues than does the proposed Bush budget.
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.

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