School Ties
Everyone wants something to boast about to former classmates—a great job, a beautiful spouse, smart children, a nifty sports car, perhaps. Among friends and at his high school reunion, Los Angeles architect Kip Kelly, AIA, would have some unique bragging rights: he went back and changed his own "beloved" high school by designing its newest addition. Full Story

Jerzy Soltan Awarded 2002 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion
Architect, educator, and Le Corbusier protégé Jerzy Soltan, whose work has inspired and influenced generations of students in the U.S. and abroad, was named 2002 recipient of the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. Full Story

A Guide to Legislative Lobbying at Grassroots 2002 or Closer to Home
You don't have to be a C-SPAN junkie to appreciate the fact that the work of Congress affects you, your livelihood, and how you practice architecture. Full Story

BEST PRACTICES CASE STUDY
Using Standardized Room Data Sheets
One way to trigger commercial building users' involvement in the definition of the architectural space they need is to work with them on completing standardized room data sheets, as Fernand W. Dahan, FAIA describes in his book Laboratories: A Guide to Master Planning, Programming, Procurement, and Design (Norton Books, 2001). Full Story

BOOK REVIEW
Laboratories: A Guide to Master Planning, Programming, Procurement, and Design
Ellis W. Bullock, FAIA, reviews this current work by Fernand W. Dahan, FAIA, who recently retired as the senior architect of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Full Story

Kick Off Your AIA National Convention with a Visit to the CES Market Place: Join providers for food, drinks, and news about continuing education programs, Wednesday, May 8, 5–7:30 p.m. Discover what's new in continuing education from the CES providers, universities, and professional organizations—for education programs for your office or monthly chapter meetings, conference sponsors and speakers, or distance education credit. There will also be a drawing for a free roundtrip ticket to the 2003 convention in San Diego. The event is free with registration, but requires a ticket. For more information, visit the convention Web site.

This Week last week, the week before, and the week before that. Click here to view the full table of contents of the February issue of AIArchitect.

Economics Watch: February 22, 2002
Although this week's numbers offer a mixed bag, the big picture points to a slow climb out of recession. Retail sales and consumer sentiment are down (but just slightly), and residential starts are way up, surprising even industry analysts. Full Story

Hoof it to DC for the March 8–9 Walking Workshop on Monumental Specifications
"Monumental Specifications: The Walking Workshop of the Memorials" in Washington, D.C. March 8–9, kicks off a series of peripatetic conferences designed to heighten awareness of specifications in the design process by studying existing buildings in their environments. Sponsored by USG and the Specifications and Building Technology PIA, the conference uses the Washington Mall as the venue for expert-led tours of the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the FDR Memorial. Participants may earn up to 12 health safety welfare LUs for attending the entire conference. For details, visit the AIA's Web site, and look under "Professional Interest Areas."

Paper Copy AIA/CES Transcripts Now Available by Request Only
The annual March mailing of AIA continuing education transcripts will no longer occur as in past years. The "official" CES transcript mailed from the University of Oklahoma is still available to members, but only upon request. Full Story