Breakfast Toast From Grassroots 2004
Members of the AIA Executive Committee and the Council of Architectural Components Executives (CACE) Executive Committee breakfasted together early March 3, but not before they raised their glasses of orange juice to toast you, the members, from the 2004 Grassroots Leadership Conference, March 3–6 in Washington, D.C. AIArchitect will bring you updated highlights from Grassroots as they happen, so keep checking this space.

800 AIA Leaders Explore “Serving Our Members, Our Profession, Our Communities”
Largest-ever Grassroots Leadership Conference kicks off in Washington, D.C.
“The fact that the AIA is represented by so many capable and dedicated leaders is evidence of our health as an organization and our vitality as a community,” said AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Norman L. Koonce, FAIA, as he welcomed nearly 800 AIA officers and component executives to the opening session of the 2004 Grassroots Leadership Conference Wednesday afternoon, March 3, in Washington, D.C. Koonce told the group that the word “community” was bound to come up a lot in the next few days as AIA members explore the concept of shared values.

Meet the Candidates for AIA National Office
AIA Secretary Lawrence Livergood, AIA, introduced the 13 candidates for AIA national office in 2005 on Friday, March 5, at the Grassroots Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. The candidates, who then delivered their speeches, for First Vice President/President-elect are: Gaines B. Hall, FAIA; Kate Schwennsen, FAIA; and David H. Watkins, FAIA; for Vice President: John H. Baker, AIA; Michael M. Hricak Jr., FAIA; Shannon Kraus, AIA; Thomas R. Mathison, AIA; Scott Simpson, FAIA; RK Stewart, FAIA; and Stephen T. Swicegood, FAIA; and for secretary: Orlando T. Maione, AIA; Robert E. Middlebrooks, AIA; and John C. Senhauser, FAIA. Read what they have to say.

AIA National Adds New Leadership
The AIA National component staff is extending a warm welcome to two new team vice presidents: Ronald A. Faucheux, PhD, Esq, AIA Government Advocacy, and Elizabeth Stewart, Esq, AIA Public Advocacy. Faucheux and Stewart are poised to be advocates for and communicators about our profession, leveraging the architect’s knowledge wherever possible.

2004 Accent on Architecture Gala
AAF, AIA, and 1,000 Friends Celebrate Design Excellence
Recognition of great works accomplished and yet to be accomplished was the theme Wednesday night, March 3, as architecture’s biggest stars shone brightly at the annual Accent on Architecture: A Celebration of Design Excellence kickoff, set in the glorious National Building Museum. The 15th gala celebration was also the largest, with 1,000 architects and patrons recognizing the American Architectural Foundation Keystone Award recipient and recipients of the AIA Twenty-five Year Award, Firm Award, and Gold Medal, in conjunction with the AIA Grassroots conference in Washington, D.C. I.M. Pei, FAIA, the 1979 AIA Gold Medalist, being honored for the National Gallery East Building, joined in the spirit of the evening as he paused to ask everyone in the audience with whom he’d worked in the past to stand and be recognized for their part in the success of the buildings.

component honors and awards
AIA Columbus Honors Eight High-Profile Projects and Their Designers
AIA Columbus counts among the winners of its 2003 design competition a health-care campus, library operations center, retail showroom, and a cathedral renovation. Honoring outstanding architecture designed by AIA Columbus-member architects, five of the projects are in central Ohio, and one each are in Cincinnati; Woodbury, Minn.; and Beijing, China. Projects in the U.S. or abroad completed after January 1, 1998, were eligible for the competition.

EPA Administrator Leavitt Addresses “Architects and the Environment” on Advocacy Day
Newly appointed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mike Leavitt (right) discusses the AIA Committee on the Environment Top 10 Green Building projects with COTE Past Chair Dan Williams, FAIA (left) and Chair Mark Rylander, AIA, after addressing the Grassroots assembly on the conference’s Advocacy Day. Voicing his strong support for the AIA Center for Livable Communities and R/UDAT programs, Leavitt presented his view of the key environmental issues facing architects today, as well as his 500-day plan and proposed legislation affecting air quality, clean and safe water, land preservation and ecosystems, and healthy communities. Watch AIArchitect for more news from the AIA’s Advocacy Day activities, including results from members’ visits to Capitol Hill. Photo © S.C. Delaney/EPA.

PROJECT WATCH
Morphosis, EYP Join Forces on NOAA Satellite and Operations
Highly technical and green facility design garners all kinds of accolades
The forecast is bright for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Satellite and Operations Facility now under construction in Suitland, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only)
The economy: The high price of steel is having wide-ranging effects. Politics and the economy: Technology-driven productivity is a double-edged sword, bringing both prosperity and unemployment. Housing: High consumer demand continues, albeit at a somewhat slower pace.
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?
February 9 | February 16 | February 23 | March 1

best practices (members only)
It's Pruning Time!
From the latest edition of the AIA Practice Management Digest comes a stern message from A/E/C consultant Mark Zweig: “Turnover is not always so bad.”

RFQ to Convert Manhattan’s High Line Into Public Space
Friends of the High Line (FHL) and the City of New York on March 1 issued a request for qualifications to master-plan the conversion of the High Line, an elevated rail on Manhattan’s West Side, to public open space. FHL, in conjunction with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, asks groups of architects, landscape architects, urban designers, engineers, horticulturists, and other professionals to form teams and submit written applications to be considered to design the High Line master plan. Deadline for submissions is April 1. Questions about the RFQ requirements and selection criteria should be addressed to rfq@thehighline.org from March 1–15 only. (Photo © J. Sternfield) The full RFQ is available online.

Heads Up: ACSA Annual Meeting Approaching
The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) invites you to its 2004 Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, March 18–21, hosted by Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University. This year’s conference, "Archipelagos: Outposts of the Americas," focuses on the increasingly global focus of architecture education and practice. Stanford Anderson, 2004 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion Laureate will be honored, and the National AIA Education Honor Awards will be announced. For details, visit ACSA online.

ACSA Announces New Executive Director
Michael Monti, PhD, began his tenure as executive director of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture February 23, announced a pleased ACSA President Geraldine Forbes Isais on behalf of the ACSA Executive Director Search Committee. He comes to the association from the Council on Social Work Education, where he worked most recently as the director of member programs, conference, and publications.

Security Design Symposium Call for Presentation Proposals
The AIA, American Society of Landscape Architects, and other members of the Security Design Coalition will host a Security Design Symposium, July 25–27 in Chicago, and are looking for presenters for three 90-minute plenary sessions and up to nine 90-minute workshops. Seventy-five-word descriptions of presentations are due March 15; more information is available on the Security Design Coalition Web site.

AIA CAREER CENTER
Here Are This Week’s Featured Opportunities

Here’s a Great Deal on Markets Research: the 2003 Firm Survey and the 2002 Compensation Report Bundle: Compiled by the AIA’s Economics and Markets Research group, these surveys document the trends and earnings in architecture. Purchase the bundle today and save over the individual prices. $395 nonmembers/ $215 members. Order online or call 1-800-242-3837, option #4.

Take an Architect’s Tour of the Windy City: The AIA 2004 National Convention and Expo in Chicago, June 10–12, offers 40 different professional tours of Chicago, from all Mies to Soldier Field to Parks and Boulevards. Visit the AIA Web site for more information and to register.

What Does it Mean To Be an AIA Member?: Members and chapters can explore the “brand” of the AIA, using the new Brand Action Center as a guide.

Connect the Dots: Technology in Architectural Practice PIA members recap the “Connecting the Dots” conference in their latest newsletter.

Check Out This Free Online Course on the New SF330: AIA eClassroom has just released “AIA22: Using the New Standard Form 330 for Architect-Engineer Qualifications,” a new continuing-education program online, free to members, to help navigate the recently released federal form architects must use in place of SF 254/255 to present their qualifications and experience when seeking to provide services on federal projects. The course offers 1.5 learning units.

Save on All Dell-branded Product Lines: To custom configure and order your systems, access your AIA Premier Dell.com Web site. (Access code, AIA; Access key, AIADELL99.) Or call Dell toll free at 877-571-3355. For more information and benefits, visit the AIA Advantage site.

Technical Support Unparalleled in the Industry: MASTERSPEC provides free technical and specification support to its users. Find out about the other benefits MASTERSPEC has to offer.

Consider 10-Year Level Term Life Insurance for Your Family: The AIA Term Life Insurance Plan lets you purchase or add more protection to your life insurance portfolio easily and inexpensively. Click here for specific information about this program. For more information about all AIA Trust programs, visit their Web site.