July 7, 2006

economics
After a Record Decade, Home Building Begins to Cool
Years of high house-price appreciation and rising mortgage rates have created serious affordability problems in many areas of the country
The 10-year housing boom came under growing pressure in 2005. With interest rates rising, builders in many states responded to slower sales and larger inventories by scaling back on production. Meanwhile, higher energy costs hit household budgets just as climbing interest rates crimped the spending of homeowners with adjustable mortgages.

AIA Pennsylvania Will Celebrate Its 2006 Design Award Winners
AIA Pennsylvania honored its 2006 Design Awards winners earlier this year at the commonwealth’s Capitol Complex. Many of the entries were featured in an exhibit in the Main Capitol Building Rotunda in Harrisburg the week prior to the ceremony. The component divides the awards into three categories: Architectural, for built projects, including interiors; Historic Preservation; and Open Plan for unbuilt, theoretical, research, and planning projects.

Guemes Island Reaches Far for AIA Sustainable Design
A community in the far reaches of northwestern Washington State found help from the AIA Center for Communities by Design sustainable design program to keep the community intact, strong, and moving forward—a case study.

AIA Los Angeles Awards Gold Medal to Hodgetts and Fung
First wife-and-husband team so acknowledged
Acknowledging the work that is also the life partnership of Craig Hodgetts, FAIA, and Hsin-Ming Fung, AIA, AIA Los Angeles awarded its Gold Medal—its highest honor—to the pair in June. “It is really significant for us to be acknowledged both as individuals and that our work is really about a partnership, not just as a couple, but as two people working together,” Fung says. “I believe most partnerships work in terms of complementing each other. The place we have achieved is to find a balance of complementing our differences as partners.”

Project Watch
Santa Monica Park First to Receive LEED® Silver Rating
Virginia Avenue Park, located in the heart of Santa Monica, Calif., is the first park in the U.S. to be awarded the LEED Silver Rating for environmental sustainability by the U.S. Green Building Council. Designed by Santa Monica, Calif.-based Koning Eizenberg Architecture and San Diego’s Spurlock Poirier Landscape Architects, Virginia Avenue Park is located in the heart of the Pico Neighborhood in western Los Angeles County.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only, AIA.org login required)
Small business: Small-business loans are about to get bigger.
The economy: One last interest-rate hike likely in August.
On the Web: Broader band will cost more regardless of “Net neutrality.”
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.

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News You Can Use
 

BEST PRACTICES
The Speed of Life
 We are in a time of prosperity seldom equaled in our profession. For most of us, work is abundant, and working hours have been expanded to accommodate the demand, note risk management gurus Grant A. Simpson, FAIA, and James B. Atkins, FAIA. We have too many e-mails to answer and constantly fidget with our PDAs and cell phones—in fact, we risk burning out ourselves and our coworkers with each passing day, they say. In this article, they look at the facets of our business that have put us in overdrive, increasing the speed of life and robbing us of much of our time once allocated for observing, pondering, discussing and, yes, listening.

Warning: AIA Fellowship Nominations Deadlines Are Closer than They Appear
Submissions must be postmarked by October 20
Don’t let the summer slip by without nominating that most-deserving architect (you, perhaps?) for AIA Fellowship, which honors architect members who have been in good standing for at least 10 years, made a significant contribution to architecture and society, and achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Fellowship submissions must be postmarked by October 20 and carry a per-year, non-refundable application fee of $175. The AIA has posted a document highlighting the “Fellowship Frequently Asked Questions”—available on the AIA Web site—that should prove helpful to nominees, sponsors, and component executives. More questions? Contact honorsawards@aia.org.

Berkeley Inaugurates Terner Prize for Innovative Affordable Housing
UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design’s Center for Community Innovation is inaugurating the Terner Prize to recognize successful and innovative affordable housing projects and their leadership teams. The prize commemorates Professor Don Terner, principal founder and first executive director of BRIDGE Housing Corporation, on the tenth anniversary of his death. One $25,000 prize will be awarded biennially to the affordable housing project and leadership team that best exemplifies the spirit of Terner’s work, commitment to affordable housing, and practice principles. In addition, five finalist teams will be awarded leadership stipends of $5,000. Applications are due September 18. For more information, visit Berkeley’s Web site.

BSA to Award Architecture Research Grants
Proposals due September 22
The Boston Society of Architects plans to award approximately $75,000 in its 2007 grant cycle to support original projects entailing innovative, practice-based, and practice-oriented research that expands the definition of research in the profession and the industry. Proposals that bring together people in practice and in academia are encouraged. Submissions from anyone currently living in the U.S. (architects, academics, designers, product developers, students, etc.) are welcome. Grants awarded may be up to $10,000 to individuals, collaborative teams, or organizations; up to $2,000 for students; up to $10,000 to support research studio projects; and $40,000 to a significant research project. Submissions (by e-mail only) are due September 22. For guidelines and applications, visit the BSA’s Web site.

AIA CAREER CENTER
Browse This Week’s Featured Opportunities by Category

• Architect 108
• Computer Aided Design 11
• Construction Management 15
• Engineering 5
• Facilities Management 3
• Graphic Design 1
• Industrial Design 2
• Information Technology (IT) 1
• Interior Design 7

 

• Intern Architect 39
• Landscape Architecture 2
• Library Services/Knowledge Management 1
• Marketing 2
• Planning 10
• Project Manager 55
• Security Design 2
• Specifications 5


Browse by State/Province
• Alabama 3
• Arizona 2
• California 27
• Colorado 2
• D.C. 5
• Florida 14
• Georgia 5
• Hawaii 2
• Idaho 1 		  • Illinois 7
• Indiana 1
• Kentucky 1
• Maryland 3
• Massachusetts 3
• Mississippi 1
• Missouri 2
• Nevada 5
• New Jersey 1 		  • New York 3
• North Carolina 13
• North Dakota 1
• Ohio 3
• Oklahoma 1
• Oregon 5
• Pennsylvania 2
• South Carolina 3
• Tennessee 3

  • Texas 2
• Utah 1
• Virginia 7
• Washington 3
• Wisconsin 1
• Wyoming 2

Visit the AIA Career Center to view/post openings. You can sort the complete list by keyword, category, job level, job type, and location.

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Now 30 Percent Off: House Transformed: Getting the Home You Want with the House You Have by Matthew Schoenherr, AIA (Taunton Press/AIA, 2005) shows you how to create the perfect place out of the not-so-perfect space you currently call home. Discover the seven keys to a successful remodel. House Transformed is published under the joint imprint of the AIA and Taunton Press. The book lists for $32; AIA members may purchase it for $22.40. Order online or phone 800-242-3837, option #4.

Mazria Asks “Where Are We Heading?” In a new eClassroom distance learning course, “Building and the Environment: Where Are We Heading?” Edward Mazria, AIA, the architect who initiated the Architecture2030 movement, will review the 2030 Challenge, explain why green buildings are so important, and identify green building practices. This course, which offers 1 HSW CES credit, is available through July 14 at a 10-percent-off discounted price, $59.35 AIA members/$80.95 nonmembers (regular price: $65.95 AIA members/$89.95 nonmembers).

Questions About The AIA’s Design-Build Documents? Go to the online Knowledge Base and type “design-build” into the Search window. Or use the Table of Contents and select Content of AIA Contract Documents/Documents by Project Type/Design-Build. Either way, the Knowledge Base will respond to your Frequently Asked Questions with answers that are at your fingertips 24 hours a day.

Free Summer Job Postings: Are you looking for extra help in your office this summer? The AIA Career Center again allows firms to post limited-time summer job offers for free on its popular job board. Click “Post Jobs” on the Employers page; log in if you are a regular user, or register if you are new to the service; then enter all relevant information. When you get to “Type” option, be sure to check “Summer Job.” You will not be charged for the listing. Offer runs through July 31. The AIA is working with the American Institute of Architecture Students to get the word out to candidates.

Crack the codes for learning units through AIA San Diego.

Double Discount: During July, Dell offers a double discount for AIA members. Call 888-323-6062. Account code AIA; access key AIADELL99. Or access your AIA Premier Dell.com Web site. Enter account code AIA and access key AIADELL99 (case sensitive). Your AIA discount automatically will be applied.

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.

Integrated Practice: Technological change is one catalyst accelerating radical improvement through the entire construction industry, from owner to architect to contractor to facility manager, through the full length of the project and building lifecycle. Learn more about how this change will transform architectural practice into Integrated Practice at www.aia.org/ip.

Press Tap News Service: Reporters from The Wall Street Journal to Michigan Construction News have signed on to get full access to AIA’s news service. Post your news today.

Consider Long Term Care for You and Your Spouse: The AIA Trust Long Term Care Quote plan offers you competitive quotes from the leading national carriers for extended care. Click here for specific information about this program. For more information about all AIA Trust programs, visit their Web site.