Biloxi, Miss., residents and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour gave a resounding thank you to a team of architects after a six-day charrette October 12-17 as part of the Mississippi Governor’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal.

Organized by the Chicago-based Congress for the New Urbanism with participation from AIA Mississippi architects and staff from the national AIA component, the brainstorming sessions focused on developing a strong, coordinated effort to rebuild the Mississippi Gulf coast.

“The AIA firmly believes that local architects should have a leadership role in formulating and executing the agreed-upon plan for rebuilding,” said AIA Mississippi President Ann Somers, AIA, in one of several media appearances during the charrette. “We were very encouraged that Governor Barbour repeatedly stressed the need for the local private sector to be a pivotal part of the monumental rebuilding effort in Mississippi throughout the commission meetings.”

Among the key ideas AIA representatives contributed during the forum were the need to develop:

• Building codes and zoning aimed at providing the utmost in safety and mitigation against future disasters
• Legislation enabling fast-track permitting by architects
• A focus on affordable housing and design solutions that benefit all economic strata
• Environmentally conscientious design and planning principles
• Transportation solutions to develop a more pedestrian-friendly environment
• Meaningful approaches to historic preservation
• One-stop design centers on the coast to coordinate the efforts of the local built environment professionals, outside offers of assistance, and requests for services.

Design-team leader Andres Duany, FAIA, emphasized the need to keep expectations high as residents discussed rebuilding priorities within the flood zone.

“Creating this movement was a bold initiative that has added significant value in many developments,” AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Norman L. Koonce, FAIA, wrote to Duany to express his sincere appreciation for the team’s efforts. “We should recognize and celebrate our profession for its creativity and diversity. There is need for us all.”

GSA PBS Commissioner Moravec joins the AIA team
Additionally, the AIA has retained the former commissioner of the General Services Administration Public Buildings Service, Joseph Moravec, who now coordinates the AIA’s overall response to the Gulf coast disasters and serves as the primary liaison between the AIA and various federal agencies working to rebuild the devastated region.

“The collaborative nature of the rebuilding commission is the ideal approach to take in determining the best course of action for how to proceed to rebuild the Mississippi Gulf region,” said Moravec, who attended the rebuilding commission in Biloxi. “One of the most viable ideas discussed for the continuation and implementation of the body of work developed this week is to form a Design Center on the coast. The Design Center can provide the framework needed to work alongside other local design, planning, and construction professionals, as well as giving the communities a one stop shop for dealing with all of the associated issues of the long-term rebuilding process.”

More than 1,000 apply for free damage assessments
As part of its commitment to the community, the AIA is offering free damage assessments to home and small-business owners in Mississippi. In the first week of extending the offer, the AIA has taken more than a thousand applications for the assessments.

“Architects—with a deep knowledge of the history of the affected communities and a strong concern for the key issues associated with large-scale rebuilding—are an ideal resource to see that the best interests of the local citizens are realized,” Somers said. AIA Mississippi, in conjunction with the AIA Disaster Assistance Program, is facilitating the assessments.

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