AIA Elevates 66 to Fellow; 5 to Honorary Fellow
The AIA congratulates the following individuals, who were selected as Fellows and Honorary Fellows of the Institute in 2005.

from grassroots 2005
Koonce Delivers CEO’s Perspective to Grassroots Attendees
AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Norman L. Koonce, FAIA, delivered the preliminary 2004 Annual Report to Grassroots attendees February 11, 2005. “Considering what to share in my final CEO’s Perspective for an AIA Grassroots Leadership and Legislative Conference has been difficult,” said Koonce. “Clearly it has been a privilege for me to serve this profession, the Institute, and you in the role of CEO for these six-plus years. While there have been extraordinary challenges during that time, I have found them to be equally energizing and the results rewarding.”

AIA Rochester Honors 10 Special Hometown Projects
AIA Rochester honored 10 beautiful buildings late last year through its annual Design Awards program, which aims to recognize good design by local architects and projects around Rochester. The jury—Pat Hyland, Assoc. AIA; Ted Kurz, FAIA; AIA Cleveland President Kevin Robinette, AIA; and AIA Cleveland Past President John Waddell, AIA—indicated that they were very impressed with the quality of the submissions in terms of graphics and architectural design. Four of the projects are restorations or additions, five are new buildings, and one is an unbuilt design.

from grassroots 2005
Sesquicentennial Planning Well Under Way for 2007
Two mayors offer insight and suggestions
There’s that word again—sesquicentennial. What does it mean—and what will it mean for AIA members? In 2007, the AIA will celebrate its 150th year of existence, the sesquicentennial (sesqui being Latin for “one and a half”). During the 2005 Grassroots Leadership and Legislative Conference on February 11, AIA Past President and Chair of the Sesquicentennial Blue Ribbon Panel Syl Damianos, FAIA, offered attendees a glimpse of what’s in the works for 2007. Mayors Donald Plusquellic of Akron and Jeremy Harris, Hon. AIA, of Honolulu also offered encouragement and advice.

Cradle to Cradle Keeps a Green Home in the Loop
The concept of “Cradle to Cradle Home Design” was developed by design pioneers William McDonough, FAIA, and Michael Braungart as a strategy for developing “ecologically intelligent products that generate economic, social, and environmental benefits at every phase of their use.” Architects, students, and university teams over the past eight months accepted the invitation to design a cradle-to-cradle house for one of four sites in Roanoke, Va. The C2C Home Design Competition received more than 625 registrations from over 60 universities and more than 40 countries.

project watch
East Valley Bus Maintenance Facility Shoots for LEED Silver Certification
102,350-square-foot facility serving 250 buses is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council
The City of Tempe (Ariz.) Redevelopment Review Committee recently approved conceptual designs for the new East Valley Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility, designed by the team of RNL Design, Phoenix, and Maintenance Design Group (MDG), Denver. The facility will be certified at the Silver Level, making it the largest and one of the first bus maintenance facilities in the U.S. to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, ensuring that the project meets specific sustainable, energy-efficient, and water-saving criteria. (The Silver Level is a step above the Certified Level in USGBC’s progressive certification levels.)

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only, AIA.org login required)
Housing: Expect a flattening out in some housing markets, but no bursting bubbles even with rampant spec buying. Shipping: Aging inland waterways mean continuing delivery problems for cement and steel. Financial services: National banks continue trying to buy into realty brokerages. Small-business loans are still available despite planned demise of the SBA micro-loan program.
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 31 | February 7 | February 14 | February 21

best practices
Architects Zoom in on the Benefits of Digital Photography
Architects are developing a keen interest in large-format digital photography to showcase their designs and to use for existing-conditions surveys. Large-format, high-end digital photography has opened new possibilities for architects, who have taken notice of the sharpness and color fidelity these images yield, including those for wide panorama shots. Digital images are becoming widely used by architects for brochures, Web sites, meetings, presentations, and trade shows. They are also taking the place of line drawings for repair designs.

Viva, Viva, Viva Las Vegas
Grassroots attendees got all shook up on February 11 when, count ’em, three Elvii suddenly appeared in their midst. One of them turned out to be Las Vegas Convention Chair Brad Schulz, AIA, who invited one and all to take part in the AIA 2005 National Convention and Design Expo, May 19–21 in Las Vegas. Online registration is now open, with a special discount price of $195 before February 28 ($250 before April 15; $295 thereafter). It’s going to be fun: Register now.

COTE Calls for “Ecological Literacy in Architecture Education”
Reminder: Papers due March 1
Borrowing the term from the book by David Orr of the same name, “ecological literacy” implies a broad understanding of the relationship between humans, societies, and the natural world. The AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) seeks to improve the training of future architects by emphasizing such connections. Under a Tides Foundation grant, COTE is undertaking an initiative that focuses on developing and applying appropriate instructional tools—based on the real world experience the profession can provide—for use in schools of architecture. Schools of architecture are asked to submit descriptions of up to three pages for coursework and programs related to sustainability and ecological literacy. COTE will present three monetary awards of $3,000 to schools. For details, visit the COTE Web site.

Members: Get on the Wire
ArchiWire, the AIA’s new online news service for journalists covering architecture, allows AIA members and firms to post news of their projects and personnel. You can post your own release, or build one on the spot using ArchiWire’s template. The service also offers helpful hints on how to write a press release as well as media relations in general. It’s a free service now, however, ArchiWire will start charging a nominal fee beginning March 15. Take advantage of the chance to build a portfolio of firm news now. Post as many releases as you’d like. Check it out today.

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

Celebrate Art: And the wonderful buildings that give it a home with Architecture for Art: American Art Museums 1938–2008. Edited by Scott Tilden (2004, Harry S. Abrams), the book presents museums since the 1938 opening of the Museum of Modern Art and is now available to AIA members for the special price of $54 ($60 retail). To learn more or purchase, visit the AIA Store or call 800-242-3837, opt. #4.

Viva AIA! Join your colleagues May 19–21 in Las Vegas: Registration and housing is now open for the AIA 2005 National Convention and Design Exposition.

Check Out These New Programs—with Transcripts: AIA eClassroom now has available 12 of the most popular programs from the 2004 AIA national convention with full transcripts.

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.

AIA Tsunami-Victim Relief Center: Check for updates and the latest 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.

Know How and When You’re Going to Retire?
The AIA Trust sponsors the AIA Members Retirement Program with plans offered by AXA Equitable, one of the largest and most experienced firms in the world. You’ll get 18 different investment options, ranging from conservative to more aggressive funds, and 24/7 online account access. Learn more about this program. For information about all AIA Trust programs, visit their Web site.