Viva Las Vegas and the 2005 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition!
We created this special section of AIArchitect to house convention-related articles that we posted as they were written. Don’t miss the news about the general sessions; legacy project; a conversation with Steve Wynn and Tony Marnell, AIA; and more.

Election Results
• RK Stewart, FAIA, elected 2007 president.
• Michael Broshar, AIA; Norman Strong, FAIA; Ronald J. Battaglia, FAIA; and Jerry K. Roller, AIA, elected to serve as AIA vice presidents.
• Tommy Neal Cowan, FAIA, has been elected treasurer of the AIA.

“The Power of Architecture:
Imagine | Create | Transform” Leads Off Convention
Whitney Young winners honored; com*mun*it*y film debuts
“Welcome to the 137th National Convention of The American Institute of Architects—welcome to the biggest gathering of architects on the planet!” said AIA President Douglas L Steidl, FAIA, as he addressed the 137th national convention gathered May 19 in Las Vegas.

Members’ Voices
Less than an hour after the Expo05 doors opened, the floor was filled with convention attendees of all stripe. They shared a mission, though: a quest for knowledge and connections. AIArchitect asked a few the question: What brought you to the convention Expo05 floor, and what have you found to make the experience worthwhile?

Modern American Architecture Honored by USPS
First stamps of Modern architecture released at AIA convention
During the first general session of the AIA 2005 National Convention and Design Expo on May 19, the United States Post Office honored “Masterworks of Modern American Architecture” by releasing a set of 12 stamps that exemplify the best in Modern architectural design.

Wynn and Marnell Deliver Warmth, Humor, and Passion
At the conclusion of the first full day of the 2005 AIA National Convention, approximately 1,000 architects gathered at Las Vegas’s newest luxury hotel, the Wynn Las Vegas, to participate in a discussion between megadeveloper Steve Wynn and his architect, Tony Marnell, AIA, CEO of Marnell Corrao Associates. Christened April 28, the 50-story, $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas offers guests 2,716 rooms; 19 restaurants; a 2,087-seat showroom; 74,700 square feet of retail space; a 111,000-square-foot casino, and an exclusive 18-hole golf course.

New Fellows Invested Amidst High Desert Grandeur
Dramatically backdropped against the neon bling of Las Vegas, 67 members of the AIA and 5 architects from other nations were elevated to Fellows and Honorary Fellows of the Institute in the midst of Las Vegas’s beautiful, serene high desert on May 20. Visually and physically apart from the “glitz and glamour” of Las Vegas, the Investiture ceremony was set in the City of Henderson’s Pavilion at Liberty Point amphitheatre, designed by Denver architect Anderson/Mason/Dale.

May 20 Convention Plenary Celebrates Knowledge and Education
The highlight of May 20 at the AIA 2005 AIA Convention plenary session was a panel discussion [follow this link for details] on the critical need for architects to acquire the technology and training to make them part of the interoperable world of 3D computerized design, modeling, fabrication, construction, and operation of buildings. The morning’s session started off, as well, with recognition of three researcher partners and the 2005 Topaz Medallion recipient.

Interoperability Panel Warns ‘Get It or Quit It’
The May 20 plenary theme session focused on a movement across building design, construction, and operations referred to variously as interoperability and Building Information Model. Based on the need for 3D graphic databases that accumulate and store all detailed information on a project, the Building Information Model concept is in demand by clients, fabricators, and constructors alike. The call to action that Friday morning—including from panelist Thom Mayne, FAIA—was for architects to embrace the marvels of this technology, too.

ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
Delegates Vote to Add International Director, Study Registration of Grads, and Advocate Sustainabilty
Steidl offers list of profession-critical issues

Legacy Project Funds School Design Research
Las Vegas’s Clark County school district currently leads the nation in school building. By 2007, the county will have constructed more than 200 new schools in 20 years—an astonishing pace for a town that only 100 years ago was little more than a whistle stop in the desert. To improve the quality of Clark County’s schools and the value of its education and extend the body of knowledge associated with learning and the best practices of educational facility planning and architecture, AIA Las Vegas has established the Design for Learning Foundation as the 2005 Legacy Project.

Saturday Session Reflects on the Past and Resolves for the Future
Norbert Young honored with Kemper Award for service to the AIA
“Over the past three days, I’ve received a lot of comments about the imagination and creativity shown by this convention,” said AIA President Douglas L Steidl, FAIA, as he opened the final general session of the AIA National Convention on May 21. “If I could take credit for what’s happened here, it would only be for choosing the team that made this convention happen.”

Copyright 2005 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.