How We Use the Brain and Mind to Smell, Taste, and Touch
John P. Eberhard, FAIA, founding president, Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, acknowledges that it’s easy to understand how our sense of touch is related to architectural design: Textures and surfaces of building materials are felt by actual contact or even by just imagining contact with them. Likewise, you may not literally taste the materials in a building, but the design of a restaurant can have an impact on your “conditioned response” to the taste of the food there. And we all have our favorite smells in a building, as well as ones that are considered noxious. But we need to understand, Eberhard says, that our fingers don’t feel anything, our noses cannot smell anything, and our taste buds and tongues cannot taste anything. So, how do we come to our “senses”?

Practice Management KC Offers Scholarship to National Conference for Young Professionals
Entry essays due July 5
The Practice Management Knowledge Community (PMKC) is offering two scholarships of up to $1,800 for young professionals to attend the 2006 Practice Management fall conference, “Project Delivery Skills Superconference: New Solutions to Old Problems.” The conference—which takes place September 14–16 in Shreveport, La., in conjunction with AIA Louisiana—aims to provide powerful lessons in delivering successful projects through effective project management skills. Ten of the nation’s leading authorities will lead workshops, seminars, and panel discussions dealing with these essential core issues.

from the president’s office
A Helper of Civilization
As the AIA National Convention and Expo—to be held June 8–10 in Los Angeles—fast approaches, AIA President Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, reflects on how the first convention nearly 140 years ago was very different for a membership of 35! And yet its words and tone set so long ago established moral imperatives that still guide our profession to this day.

Women in Architecture Dinner: LA Architecture that Is “Out of the Box”
Urban designer Martha Welborne, FAIA, to talk about her unusual experiences
The annual Women in Architecture dinner at the AIA National Convention celebrates the contributions of women to the architecture profession and specifically the achievements of women elevated to the College of Fellows. Keynote speaker Martha Welborne, FAIA, is managing director of the Grand Avenue Committee, a public/private partnership focused on revitalizing the cultural and civic districts of downtown Los Angeles through the creation of a $1.8-billion project that includes six high-rise buildings and a 16-acre civic park. She was also project director of the Surface Transit Project, an initiative that led to the creation of Los Angeles County's Metro Rapid bus, one of the most successful new transit systems in the country. Wellborne was appointed a Loeb Fellow at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in 1991 and elected to the AIA College of Fellows in 1993.

Meet the Seven Candidates Certified for AIA Office
Elections for the Institute’s next first vice president/president-elect, vice presidents, and secretary will be held in June at the AIA 2006 National Convention and Design Expo in Los Angeles. Read the candidates’ statements.

project watch
Cesar Pelli Finally Sees “Red”
Long-awaited LA building will complete triad at Pacific Design Center
First there was the iconic “Blue” building, known affectionately as “The Blue Whale.” Then there was the distinctive “Green” building. And now there will be the “Red” building, the long-awaited addition the Pacific Design Center complex, designed by Cesar Pelli, FAIA, Pelli Clarke Pelli Associates, and executive architect Gruen Associates. “Red” completes the triad of buildings the architect first envisioned for the 14-acre site in the mid-1970s. “The PDC is an idea that has been pending to be completed. It will complete the composition, but most importantly, it will help define a public space,” Pelli says.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only, AIA.org login required)
Energy: Negawatt programs to save electricity are the wave of the future.
Energy forecasts: Gas will spike around $3.50 this summer, then ease.
Small business: Congress is giving small businesses incentives to build.
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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Hot Off the Press: Feng Shui: A Practical Guide for Architects and Designers by Vincent M. Smith and Barbara Lyons Stewart, AIA (Kaplan AEC Education, 2006) is the very first book geared specifically to the architecture and design disciplines. In the past few years, feng shui has crossed cultures to become an effective tool for the nation’s top architects and designers and their clients. This useful guide equips architects and designers with the tools to create well-designed, comfortable environments that enhance clients' lives. The book lists for $39.95; AIA members may purchase for $32.95. Order online or phone 800-242-3837, option #4.

Think International: “The Business of Architecture,” provides insight into the cross-cultural nature of international work—how do you qualify to practice, what documents you can expect, and issues of liability. This 1.5 HSW course is available through May 5 at a 10-percent-off discount: $89.05 AIA members/$121.95 nonmembers (regular price: $98.95 AIA members/$134.95 nonmembers.

Free Summer Job Postings: Are you looking for extra help in your office this summer? The AIA Career Center again allows firms to post limited-time summer job offers for free on its popular job board. Click “Post Jobs” on the Employers page; log in if you are a regular user, or register if you are new to the service; then enter all relevant information. When you get to “Type” option, be sure to check “Summer Job.” You will not be charged for the listing. Offer runs through July 31. The AIA is working with the American Institute of Architecture Students to get the word out to candidates.

Register for the Convention by May 3 and Save! Register for the full convention by May 3 to save $65 and increase your chances of getting the workshops, tours, special events, programs, and travel and hotel accommodations you want.

LUs in the Badger State: Revisit learning unit possibilities at the 2006 AIA Wisconsin Convention & Expo.

Special savings on all Dell Products. Call 888-323-6062. Account code AIA; access key AIADELL99. Or access your AIA Premier Dell.com Web site, www.dell.com/AIA. Enter account code AIA and access key AIADELL99 (case sensitive). Your AIA discount automatically will be applied.

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.

Integrated Practice: Technological change is one catalyst accelerating radical improvement through the entire construction industry, from owner to architect to contractor to facility manager, through the full length of the project and building lifecycle. Learn more about how this change will transform architectural practice into Integrated Practice at www.aia.org/ip.

Press Tap News Service: Reporters from The Wall Street Journal to Michigan Construction News have signed on to get full access to AIA’s news service. Post your news today.

Family Insurance: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.