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Economics
After a Disappointing 2003, Consensus Is for a
Construction Recovery in 2004
Projected commercial upturn seen as reversing
four-year
nonresidential slide
Regarding the outlook for nonresidential construction activity, as
with most situations, there’s some good news and some bad news.
The good news: A recovery looms. The bad news is that the recovery
is taking longer to materialize than most expected. The consensus
is that nonresidential construction will be down about 5 percent this
year, the fourth straight year of decline in nonresidential contracts.
Cumulatively, the decline over this period is likely to total almost
25 percent.
Architects
Aid in Disaster Assistance
Tumultuous weather has wreaked havoc nationwide this spring, particularly
in the nation’s heartland. The tornadoes and harsh weather
should remind AIA members of the Institute’s disaster assistance
program as it offers one example of a community ravaged by Mother
Nature and built again by a determined citizenry. A case in point
is Clarksville, Tenn.
Designing
for the Stars
Cleveland’s new planetarium
evokes an astronomic instrument
The newest addition to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History,
the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium by van Dijk Westlake Reed
Leskosky, suggests a sleek, futuristic identity. A metal-clad, chamfered
cone, this sculptural addition angles toward and aligns with the
North Star. The striking shape and bronze color of the 60-foot-tall
planetarium heralds the museum’s current effort to transform
itself through a series of modestly scaled facilities. This museum
in particular aims to appeal to school children and repeat visitors
through up-to-date technology, equipment, and live programming.
Former
FEMA Director to Head ICC
James Lee Witt, former director of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management
Agency under President Clinton, is the new chief executive officer
of the International Code Council (ICC), the ICC Board of Directors
announced May 28.
It’s Back and It’s Beautiful
AIA New York Chapter’s
Oculus reborn
After a year’s hiatus, AIA New York Chapter’s Oculus
magazine has returned in its new incarnation as a four-color glossy
quarterly. Its handsome, clean design by Pentagram, complemented
by the journalistic hand of Editor-in-Chief Kristen Richards, offers
an upbeat profile of the triumphantly phoenix-like profession and
professionals of New York City’s architecture scene.
PROJECT
WATCH
Construction Starts on WATG-Designed Resort
Casino in Palm Springs for Cahuilla Indians
Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG), architects of resort and
gaming-design acclaim, announced that construction is now under
way for a $90-million new casino project in the heart of Palm Springs
for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The two-story, stucco
Spa Resort Casino will cover an entire city block and feature 1,000
slots, 40 table games, a player’s club, three restaurants,
a 150-seat entertainment lounge, and a central bar on the casino
floor. (Rendering courtesy of WATG.)
Your Kiplinger Connection (members
only)
AIArchitect links members to
three stories a week from the pages of the renowned Kiplinger
Letter. (Nonmembers
may subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.)
Taxes: To take the most advantage
of the new tax law, watch those sunset clauses and breaks on dividends
and capital gains. Office Tech:
Office 2003 coming this fall; Microsoft will stop technical support
for Office 97 in January. Powerful new PCs coming, still at about
$1,000. The Economy: Housing
market holding strong.
Need to catch up on recent editions of AIArchitect
This Week?
May 12
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19
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26
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2
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BEST
PRACTICES (members only)
Selection Criteria for Wood Flooring
Interior Graphic Standards is
the latest reference offering from Wiley and the AIA. From life-safety
code requirements and radio-frequency shielding to colors and finishes,
IGS covers the gamut of creating
and filling interior spaces of every type. Here is the book’s
discussion of selecting wood for durability and appearance.
Firefighters
and Architects Address WTC Memorial Jury
Thousands register for design competition
More than 13,000 people hailing from all 50 states and 94 countries
registered for the World Trade Center memorial competition, redevelopment
officials announced last week. Planners said that at the close of
registration May 29, the final number of registrants far exceeds
that of any other design competition in U.S. history. Comparatively,
about 2,500 registered for the Pentagon memorial competition.
ArchVoices
Announces Winners of Essay Contest
Essayist compares Wright’s internship
with his own
James Brantley Hightower, Assoc. AIA, received the top honor in
the first ArchVoices
essay contest with his entry,
“Circles for a Living.” The contest, launched by
the four-year-old Web-based publication dedicated largely to issues
of internship, sought insights to the trials, triumphs, and tribulations
of architectural graduates working toward licensure. First prize
was $981, the cost of taking the Architectural Registration Exam.
For details on all the recognized essays, visit the ArchVoices
site.
Reminder:
Presentation Proposals for the
2004 AIA National Convention in Chicago Due Soon
Be a speaker at the 2004 AIA national convention in Chicago, June
10–12.
E-mailed Presentations Due June 13
Click
here to view the 2004 call for presentations for next year’s
annual meeting. (PDF file 194 Kb).
Online Submissions Due June 20
Click
here to read about online submissions.
Calling All Kid Spaces
The AIA's publishing partner Taunton Press is planning a sequel
to its The Kidspace Idea Book
(2001), and is looking for residential projects to include. Like
its predecessor, this new, highly visual book will cover spaces
for tots to teens and feature children's bedrooms, bathrooms, playrooms,
study areas, storage/closet spaces, and outdoor play spaces. Projects
will emphasize creative ideas that can be implemented or adapted
without great expense. They can be simple or elaborate, details
or whole rooms. The author indicates that she will interview and
clearly credit all sources for the text. If you have projects, photos,
sketches, plans, or ideas for the book, contact her, wendyajordan@hotmail.com
or 202-363-5563. Jordan needs preliminary visuals for project-selection
purposes by June 30. If you cannot make the deadline, contact her
to make other arrangements.
AIA CAREER CENTER
Here
Are This Week’s Featured Opportunities |
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Architect, Colorado Springs, CO
•
Architect, Lake Bluff, IL •
Architects, Raleigh, NC •
Architects, Richmond, VA
•
Architectural Designer, Fresno,
CA
•
Architectural Manager, Marshall,
MN •
Architectural Services—Production Manager,
Elgin, IL
•
Associate Design Architect, Irvine,
CA
•
Healthcare Architect/Project Manager,
Brentwood, TN
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•
Help Wanted, Chicago, IL
• Interior Designers, Beijing
and Shanghai
• Managing Engineer/Architect,
Los Angeles/Irvine, CA
• Project Architect, San
Luis Obispo, CA
•
Project Architects, Washington,
DC
•
Project Manager, Glen Mills,
PA
•
Project Manager, Jacksonville,
FL
•
Project Manager, Schaumburg,
IL
•
Project Managers, Philadelphia
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Visit the AIA Career
Center for a full list of openings.
Copyright 2003 The American Institute of
Architects. All rights reserved. Home Page |
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Columns
From
the President’s Office Economics
Work-on-the-Boards
Marketplace
Research Members
and Firms Calendar
Classifieds |
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Upgrade
to EF 3.0 PLUS: This free upgrade makes EF 3.0 Plus even
easier. Runs in Microsoft® Windows desktop environments. Click
for your free download.
Libeskind
Presentation Available Free: The first of the 26 sessions
and seminars from the AIA national convention available through
eClassroom, the
Daniel Libeskind presentation is available now, free of charge to
AIA members ($49.95 for nonmembers). View all the eClassroom
distance learning courses.
Special
Introductory Price on Interior
Graphic Standards until
August 31: The just-released Interior
Graphic Standards, edited by Maryrose McGowan, AIA, and Kelsey
Kruse, offers 720 pages of accepted guidelines and more than 3,000
new illustrations for space planning and residential detailing from
200 experts in the field. The special introductory price is $157.50
AIA members/$175 nonmembers until August 31; thereafter, it will
be $180 AIA members/$200 retail.
Buy
Now, Fly Later: Earn Plus Rewards™ miles with every
purchase using the AIA MasterCard. The application site has more
information.
Consider
Disability Coverage for Your Office: If you become disabled,
the AIA Trust Business Overhead Expense Plan helps pay your office
expenses while you recuperate. Click
here for specific information about this program. For more information
about all AIA Trust programs, go to their site.
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