Vice President

1. The AIA and the United States Conference of Mayors are working together to encourage city leaders to take a strong stance in favor of promoting integrated and high-performance building design with a goal of reaching a 50 percent fossil fuel reduction by 2010 and carbon neutral buildings by 2030. What are your plans to support this initiative and to implement the AIA's positions on the environment? More specifically, what role do you see the Associate AIA members playing now and in the future in furthering these objectives?

This topic has been a particular passion and professional focus of mine since 1980. I have been involved in the design of energy efficient, environmentally sensitive buildings and neighborhoods throughout my career and have written, lectured, and presented on all of these topics. Within the past few years I have been actively involved in the AIA’s Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program, serving as a Team Leader for SDATs in Northampton, Mass; northern Nevada, and currently in Dubuque, Iowa. This program is true catalyst for change within cities around the country to make the 2010 and 2030 goals a reality. This is an ideal program for Associate AIA members to get involved in and help change happen in their own communities. I also serve on the overall Design Assistance Committee where we are reviewing, this year, the ways to strengthen the SDAT program and work in collaboration with the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE), the Sustainability Discussion Group (SDiG), and other AIA initiatives to create a true synergy across the country that advances our positions on the environment. It is an exciting time to be involved in this issue, and all Associate AIA members can and should participate in all of it.

2. Where do you see opportunities for architecture students, emerging professionals, and recently licensed professionals to make the greatest contribution to our profession?

Students, Associate AIA members, and recently licensed professionals bring new energy and fresh insights to the profession of architecture. Many architects who have been practicing for a few decades need that fresh energy to keep the collective work that we do from getting stale or becoming uninspired. So, the first opportunity that I see is to genuinely partner with “seasoned” architects in a symbiotic relationship that promotes growth and learning on both sides, allows for dialog and debate that “pushes the envelope” of traditional practice, and questions whether or not something should be done simply because it has always been done that way. The counterpoint to that role, of course, is to understand and learn why there may be solid reasons that change won’t happen or that it will come slowly. A second opportunity is to bring what appear to be “second nature” computer skills of the younger generation to the forefront of successful practice. Many firms have the technology available, but aren’t realizing the full benefits because the people using it aren’t fully comfortable or conversant with it. Creatively and successfully using computer technology in offices can not only be good for the practice, it can be fun and rewarding for the professionals too by producing better results in less time than previously.

3. Some statistics have suggested the rate of attrition among architects is steadily increasing. What initiatives do you suggest/support that will encourage younger members to remain in the field and also to become registered?

We need to listen more to younger members, which means we have to give them an accessible forum to speak out. There is clearly a different train of thought going on regarding licensure and the benefits it holds compared to the effort and expense that it entails. It appears that many feel that the incentive or the reward isn’t worth the effort, or worse, will bring even more difficulties than taking a different path. Personally, I think these are misperceptions that need more dialog. One of the initiatives being discussed within the Board Community Committee, which I agree with, is the concept of a “welcome to the profession” invitation from AIA members to students graduating from architecture schools. The idea is to reach out and personalize the AIA membership and NCARB IDP processes so as to take any mystery out of them and help graduates become more easily engaged in the profession. In this way, the realities of the benefits of being registered, the greater joys and rewards of the profession, and the assistance of colleagues should be more readily apparent. People will stick with a good thing when they see it; they just have to see it first.

4. As technology advances and new software is developed, at least some members of the public (including potential clients) seem to believe that it is becoming easier for any “Average Joe” to “design” a building. How do you propose we, leaders of the architecture profession, promote an architect’s value to society? Additionally, how do you see the role of the architect changing as technology advances?

The truth is that any average person can have access to software and can use it. But software is only a tool. We all have access to other tools, too, but that doesn’t mean anyone can create great literature because they can type, or solve scientific dilemmas because they have a calculator. The tool is not the point, the person using it is. That’s the message that we need to get out to the public. Our value is our education, our internship, our experience, and the fact that we do everyday what most people rarely participate in—the design and construction process. By using these traits of ours to serve our clients and society in general, our role should only increase as technology increases. Properly used technology by professionals who know what they are doing should allow for better, more diverse, and more valuable design services. Advances in building design technology will require a true design professional to be part of the process. The “Average Joe” simply won’t be able to keep up.

5. How is the Intern process handled in your firm/office? Would you consider it to be "Intern Friendly"? What would you propose to help make the profession more "Intern Friendly"?

The large firm and the office that I directly oversee is very intern friendly. We sponsor scholarships and paid summer internships for college students. We encourage all architecture graduates who aren’t yet licensed to pursue it and we offer internal mentors and supervisors to help with the IDP process. A graduate intern’s workload is consciously reviewed to provide variety and cover the diverse categories that are required for IDP, and make for better architects. Seminars that help Interns prepare for the exam are either offered in house or advertised when offered locally by others. We pay for Associate AIA dues and IDP costs for interns, just as we pay full AIA dues and NCARB costs for licensed members. An internal continuing education budget (dollars and time away from the office) allows for licensed members to attend professional seminars, so it is only reasonable that it applies to IDP educational seminars. We have an education reimbursement policy that allows all employees to be reimbursed for the cost of successfully passing professional training and exams, including the ARE. Finally, upon licensure, (fees paid by the firm), new licensees are eligible not only for recognition in firm-wide and/or external publications, they also qualify for a raise and a promotion. I think, in general, the profession needs to adopt the policy that we have internalized, namely that interns should be treated fairly, with appropriate corresponding benefits and support compared to licensed professionals.