July 21, 2006

work-on-the-boards
Weakness in Residential Sector Causes Firm Billings to Fall Again in June
Virtual design use spotty at present, expected to be the norm within a decade
Billings at architecture firms declined slightly in June for the second consecutive month, marking the first two-month national decline in billings since November 2003, according to AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. Of equal concern is the slowdown in growth of inquiries for future projects; firms reported the slowest growth of inquiries since August 2003. Business conditions in June varied significantly by firm specialty and also by firm size. Firms with annual billings below $1 million reported very weak billings and inquiries, while larger firms reported stronger conditions.

de Young Museum Architects Lauded for Accessible Design
Fong + Chan Architects honored for San Francisco museum
The Paralyzed Veterans of America presented its 2006 Barrier-Free Access Award to Fong & Chan Architects (FCA) to recognize the accessibility of the de Young Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Nuno Lopes, FCA’s project manager for the $135-million project, says the key to designing for accessibility is to go beyond the physical standards already prescribed by code to become aware of the human element of design and to consider the entire user experience.

AIA Gulf States Region Celebrates 2006 Honor Awards
The excellence of AIA Gulf States region architecture shines through again in 2006 with projects in each of the region’s five states (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee) garnering awards. The projects represent a diversity of traditional and modern, new construction and rehabilitation, stunning interiors.

An Architect in Service: From Iraq to the Philippines
Lt. Jim Vandenberg, AIA, wrote last year of his experiences as a Navy Seabee in Iraq—first meaning to design schools, then having to design outposts as the war progressed. The Arkansas state architect is still at work fighting the war on terrorism, but now in the Philippine Islands building needed facilities.

Safdie to Design Singapore’s First Integrated Resort
The Singapore government has selected Moshe Safdie and Associates’ design for the $3.6 billion Marina Bay Sands, a 6-million-square-foot integrated resort complex. Safdie will joint venture with the Singapore-based Aedas Architect and Arup Consulting Engineers as Las Vegas Sands Design Team. The project will be built by Las Vegas Sands Corp. Marina Bay Sands will integrate a waterfront promenade with a grand, multi-leveled retail arcade combining civic space and shopping. It will feature three 50-story hotel towers containing 1,000 rooms each, crowned by a two-acre Sky Garden bridging across the towers, offering 360-degree views of the city and the sea. Amenities will include jogging paths, swimming pools, spas, and gardens; an Arts and Sciences Museum on the promontory; a million square feet of integrated waterside promenade and shopping arcade; a one-million-square-foot convention center; two 2,000-seat theaters; a casino; and a 4,000-car garage. The complex is slated to open in 2009.

Project Watch
Art Deco Library Gets New Post-Katrina Life
AIA firm led pro bono effort; library to be a neighborhood beacon of hope
The Art Deco Alvar Street Branch Library, a New Orleans landmark damaged by Hurricane Katrina, has been restored to its original form by a pro bono team led by Minneapolis-based Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd. (MSR). Dedication and effort by combined forces enabled the project to be completed in a mere four months, with the library re-opening June 25. The Alvar Street Branch Library, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the first damaged libraries brought back into service in New Orleans.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only, AIA.org login required)
The economy: Corporations have cash for expansion but are jittery. Africa: Oil money will fuel infrastructure improvements. Mideast crisis : Expect $3.50-$4/gallon at the pump soon.
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?
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News You Can Use
 

BEST PRACTICES
What Do You Look for in Hiring a New Designer?
Raw talent or willingness to learn? Ability to write or ability to draw? Asks questions or solves problems? Yes! In his new book, Becoming an Architect (John Wiley & Sons, 2006), University of Maryland School of Architecture Associate Dean Lee Waldrep, PhD, offers dozens of in-depth interviews and career profiles with practicing architects, as well as succinct answers to questions such as “What do you look for in hiring a new designer?” The answers, excerpted in this article, may surprise you.

Call for Entries: 2007 ReBrand 100
AIA members are invited to submit entries by September 27 to the second annual ReBrand 100 competition, an international awards competition recognizing the world’s most effective rebrands: the repositioning, revitalizing, or redesign of existing brand assets to meet strategic goals. Entries may be rebrands for a product, service, environment, or similarly discrete project or for an entire company, institution, or organization-wide project. AIA members are eligible for the discounted entry fee. For details, case studies of past winners, and other information online, visit the ReBrand 100 site.

AIA Hong Kong, Committee on Design to Host “Pacific Crossings” Conference This Fall
Please join AIA Hong Kong and the AIA Committee on Design for “Pacific Crossings,” the first AIA Northwest + Pacific Region and AIA Committee on Design conference, to be held October 15–22 in Hong Kong and Shanghai. The conference—which promises an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences with design professionals from the U.S. and the Asia Pacific region—will focus on sustainable design and the impact and growth of contemporary architecture in China and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit the AIA Hong Kong Web site.

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

• Architect 104
• Computer Aided Design 6
• Construction Management 17
• Engineering 5
• Facilities Management 3
• Graphic Design 4
• Industrial Design 2
• Information Technology (IT) 1

 

• Interior Design 8
• Intern Architect 39
• Landscape Architecture 6
• Marketing 1
• Planning 12
• Project Manager 62
• Security Design 2
• Specifications 4


Browse by State/Province
• Alabama 5
• Arizona 3
• California 30
• Colorado 1
• D.C. 3
• Florida 13
• Georgia 4
• Hawaii 1
  • Idaho 2
• Illinois 4
• Indiana 1
• Maryland 5
• Missouri 2
• Nevada 5
• New Hampshire 1
• New Jersey 1
  • New York 2
• North Carolina 17
• Ohio 3
• Oklahoma 1
• Oregon 5
• Pennsylvania 3
• South Carolina 2
• Tennessee 2
  • Texas 4
• Utah 1
• Virginia 9
• Washington 3
• Wisconsin 7
• Wyoming 1

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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No Place Like Home: Creating a New Old House: Yesterday's Character for Today's Home, Taunton Press’s new book by residential architect Russell Versaci, AIA, features 17 new “old-style” houses and the author’s “Eight Pillars of Traditional Design.” The 224-page book lists for $39.95; AIA members may purchase Creating a New Old House for $34.95. Order online or phone 800-242-3837, option #4.

A 4,000-year-old Tradition: In the “Feng Shui for Residential Architecture” eClassroom distance learning course, instructors Barbara Lyons Stewart, AIA, and Vincent Smith discuss the benefit and issues of Feng Shui principles and environmental psychology and show you how to apply the principles to identify solutions in particular residences. This course, which offers 1.5 HSW CES credits, is available through July 28 at a 10-percent-off discounted price, $89.05 AIA members/$121.95 nonmembers (regular price: $98.95 AIA members/$134.95 nonmembers).

Learn About Supplementary Conditions: You know what General Conditions are. But what are Supplementary Conditions? Go to the online Knowledge Base and type “supplementary conditions” into the Search window. The Knowledge Base provides instant answers 24 hours a day to frequently asked questions about supplementary conditions and other common practices in using AIA Contract Documents.

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.

Time for DesignDC ’06: Experience Design through this conference and workshop brought to you by the Washington Chapter/AIA and Potomac Valley AIA.

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.

Protect Yourself and Your Family: The AIA Trust Personal Lines Coverage through Liberty Mutual offers special, members-only discounts on automobile and homeowners/tenant insurance with reasonable rates and excellent claims service. Visit Liberty Mutual’s Web site or call 800-281-1329. For more information about all AIA Trust programs, visit their Web site.