Grand Valley Honors Nine Grand Projects
AIA Grand Valley (Mich.) is pleased to present the nine projects chosen as recipients of the chapter’s 2005 Honor Awards, recognizing excellence in design and professional achievements by AIA Grand Valley members. This year, a jury from Detroit—Chair Kenneth Neumann, FAIA; Alan Cobb, AIA; Arthur Smith, FAIA; and Brooke Smith, AIA—selected a total of nine Michigan projects to receive a total of four honor awards, one interior award, two sustainable design awards, and two outstanding details awards.

Candidates Respond to Questions from the National Associates Committee
The National Associates Committee posed two questions this year to the candidates for AIA office. Candidates were free to address issues raised by the questionnaire in whatever form they found most appropriate, without necessarily answering each question separately. Each response was limited to no more than 500 words. Following are the questions and the candidates’ responses, as they submitted them via e-mail to the AIA by May 2.

Five Communities to Take Part in Sustainable Design Assessment Program Launch
Oklahoma City; Cache County, Utah; Pittsfield, Mass.; Northampton, Mass; and Forest City, N.C.—diverse communities ranging in population from less than 8,000 to 550,000 people—have been selected for the inaugural launch of the AIA Center for Communities by Design’s Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program. These communities, selected from across the country by an AIA review panel, each will receive $20,000 in resources from the AIA national component towards covering the costs of the assessment.

Access Board Calls for Best Practices
The U.S. Access Board has created the Courthouse Access Advisory Committee to develop guidance material on providing access to courthouses for people with disabilities. As part of this effort, the committee is soliciting “best practice” examples of accessibility in new and renovated courthouse design.

All I Needed to Know About Convention . . .
. . . I learned by reading AIArchitect
We bring you the word on security, the bus scene, a just-added opportunity to see Las Vegas megadeveloper Steve Wynn and architect Tony Marnell in simulcast, and a special word about the general sessions. (They’re going to be great this year—and very popular!) Taking part in the AIA National Convention and Design Expo in ’Vegas, May 19–21? Read on!

Top 10 Bestsellers in April 2005
AIArchitect is pleased to provide you with a list of the top 10 best-selling publications in the AIA Store for the month of April.

project watch
Native American and Western Heritage Celebrated at the Eiteljorg
New wing expands museum’s collection
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in downtown Indianapolis, by Browning, Day, Mullins, Dierdorf Architects, will debut its new Perelman Wing on June 11 as part of the museum’s $40.7 million “Eye on the Future” campaign to enlarge the museum’s collection. The 45,000-square-foot Perelman Wing will feature three new galleries, classrooms, library, technology lab, sculpture court, gardens, and plenty of open space. The addition also will double the Eiteljorg’s public space, allowing the museum to display more of its collection, hold special events, and provide guests with hands-on learning.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only, AIA.org login required)
The economy: Growth will continue, albeit a bit slower. Energy: Fuel prices will prompt passage of the energy bill and put a premium on conservation. Roads and rail: Higher freight costs loom ahead.
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?
April 11 | April 18 | April 25 | May 2

best practices
Smoke, Mirrors, and Snake Oil: Risks in Marketing
Risk Management Committee Members James B. Atkins, FAIA, and Grant A. Simpson, FAIA, say that as we compete for commissions, we may be inclined to embellish our representations to present ourselves in the best light. These actions are not intended to mislead, but if we tell our clients that we are the best around, they may expect our work to be better than that of everyone else. Their article this month explores the risks associated with marketing and how we unwittingly create expectations that can rise above our capabilities and the prevailing standard of practice.

Emerging Professional’s Companion Now Free to All Members
The AIA Board of Directors recently voted to subsidize funding so that all AIA members can receive free access to the Emerging Professional’s Companion (EPC). This new tool is an essential mentoring resource for practitioners who employ interns in their firms. The EPC functions as a structure though which firm members can share information about their practice with junior staff. The Emerging Professional’s Companion also provides content for in-house continuing education programs for all levels of staff.

NCARB Announces $10 Increase for
ARE Divisions
New prices begin July 1
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) announced April 25 that it will implement a $10-per-division fee increase for the computer-based Architect Registration Examination (ARE), effective July 1. This represents the first increase in the overall cost of the computerized ARE to candidates since its introduction in 1997. NCARB reports that the increase will help defray future exam development expenses and reduces the subsidy currently underwritten by NCARB Certificate Holders. Fees collected before July 1, 2005, are not affected, and the fee to reschedule an appointment remains $35. The new fees are $102 for the multiple-choice divisions and $153 for the graphic divisions. For more information, visit the NCARB Web site.

Going to the Convention? Don’t Miss the Women in Architecture Dinner
Allison Williams is the special guest
Join the AIA Diversity Committee May 19, 6–9 p.m., at the Art Deco-inspired Lawry’s the Prime Rib restaurant for the annual celebration of women in architecture and recognition of the achievements of women elevated to the College of Fellows this year. This year’s special guest is Allison Williams, FAIA, design principal at Perkins & Will in San Francisco, whose recent projects include the African American Cultural Center, Pittsburgh; International Museum of Women, San Francisco (in partnership with LMSA); and the Chula Vista Border Patrol Station, a GSA Design Excellence commission. Williams was a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Howard A. Friedman Distinguished Visiting Professor at UC Berkeley. All are welcome to attend this special dinner—for more information and to register, visit the AIA National Convention Web site and check out “special event E17.”

AIA CAREER CENTER
Here Are This Week’s Featured Opportunities

Follow Mockbee’s Legacy: Proceed and Be Bold: Rural Studio After Samuel Mockbee, by Andrea Oppenheimer Dean and Timothy Hursley (Princeton Architectural Press, 2005). Live the legacy of the Rural Studio after Gold Medalist Sam Mockbee’s death in 2001, under its new director Andrew Freear. Proceed and Be Bold is available now to AIA members for the special price of $24 ($30 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 is still open for the AIA 2005 National Convention and Design Expo.

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.

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.

Cover Personal and Business Expenses if Disability Strikes: The AIA Trust Personal and Business Overhead Disability Plans will cover all your expenses while you recuperate. Find out more about this program. For more information about all AIA Trust programs, go to their site.