 Teach-In Defines “Catalyzing Moment” for Environmental Action
February 20 Webcast unites professionals and educators in the “2010 Imperative”
A global Webcast, which supporters say reached a quarter of a million participants in 47 countries during its broadcast on February 20, urged architects and other building professionals, architecture educators, and students to take responsibility for reducing carbon emissions contributing to global warming that threatens to change climate and Planet Earth drastically if we do not take action within the next decade. Hosted in New York by the Academy of Sciences, the Webcast, now archived and available for viewing, featured presentations by NASA Scientist James Hansen, PhD, and architects Edward Mazria, AIA, and Chris Luebkeman, AIA, who joined forces to connect global warming, the built environment (which accounts for half of U.S. energy use), and how the 2030 Imperative can help us all make that crucial difference. 
 AARP and NAHB Introduce New Livable Communities Award
The American Association of Retired Persons and the National Association
of Homebuilders announce a new joint award to recognize creative
and unique home and community projects that improve the daily comfort,
ease, and safety of their residents and highlight the critical
elements needed for a livable community. The new AARP & NAHB
Livable Communities Award will be presented annually to the three
professional groups—builders, remodelers, and developers
for both large and small projects—for projects that accommodate
the needs of all residents with all levels of physical ability,
easy access to community services and activities, viable transportation
options, improved energy efficiency and enhanced site design, and
better communication with key stakeholders. Winning projects must
have been completed and opened or eligible for occupancy between
January 1, 2005, and June 1, 2007. Applications for the first Livable
Communities Awards are due June 1, 2007. For more information or
an application, visit
the AARP Web site.
Things a Little Slow Right Now?
Interest by the public and news media in our AIA150 America’s Favorite Architecture survey has been intense—so intense, in fact, that it has slowed access to the AIA’s other Web-based components, including AIArchitect. While this is a nice reason for a slowdown, we are working diligently to make hardware and software adjustments to pick up the pace and provide you with better, speedier access. You should see noticeable improvement within the next few weeks. In the meantime, thanks for your patience.
 Design-Build Legislation Sweeps the Nation
G. William Quatman, FAIA, Esq., the chair of the AIA Design-Build Advisory Group, reports that since the start of the decade, the number of bills introduced each year to allow use of design-build as an alternative method of delivery has increased steadily. On average, a remarkable 35 percent of these bills pass each year. As his accompanying chart below shows, in the past five years alone, there has been an average of 176 bills introduced, with 60 passing. Five states still are design-build legislation holdouts. Which ones?
 Meet the 2007 Candidates for AIA National Office
Candidates for 2008 office delivered their initial campaign statements at the 2007 Grassroots and Legislative Conference on February 8. From the left, the candidates are:
Marvin J. Malecha, FAIA (First Vice President)
Peter Arsenault, AIA (Vice President)
Clark Manus, FAIA (Vice President)
Hal P. Munger, FAIA (Treasurer)
David Brotman, FAIA (Vice President)
Michael Broshar, FAIA (First Vice President). |
