February 8, 2008
  Designing to Accommodate Everyone
Universally designed building awarded for socially responsible housing
Universal design is not about following the minimum ADA guidelines, and it’s not about specialization. It’s about providing access to all, whether they are severely arthritic, wheelchair users, or seven feet tall. The 6 North apartment building in St. Louis is the first large-scale multi-family housing development project to incorporate the principles of universal design throughout its spaces. At 6 North, all 80 apartments, as well as the common spaces and fitness facility, are fully accessible by all, including those with disabilities. The project was recently awarded the John M. Clancy Award for Socially Responsible Housing. The award was established in 2004 by the principals of Goody Clancy to recognize and honor the decades of creative commitment that John Clancy, FAIA, brought to the planning, design, and construction of multifamily housing for the diverse populations of our nation at all income levels.

“Strategies for Integrated Project Delivery” Web Seminar Set for February 28
AIA Contract Documents and members of the AIA California Council invite you to join them for a Web seminar, “Strategies for Integrated Project Delivery,” February 28, 1:00–2:30 p.m. EST. The presentation follows the AIA Contract Documents and AIACC joint release in November 2007 of Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide, offered as a tool to assist owners, designers, and builders to move toward integrated models and improved design, construction, and operations processes. Through the Web seminar, three drafters of the Guide will discuss the definition, economic business models, and technological methods to achieve integrated project delivery (IPD) and the evolution of architecture practice.

THINK ABOUT IT: THE ARCHITECT’S VOICE
That Old Building May Be the Greenest on the Block
James T. Kienle, FAIA, a member of the AIA Historic Resources Committee, asks when was the last time you saw any kind of architecture publication that did not have something on sustainability? It is difficult to be an architect today and not know about sustainability and the green building movement, he says. Even if you do not have LEED® behind your name, you know what LEED is, and you or your clients—even some state and local governments—are demanding that your projects be LEED certified. But in our haste to make all things green, we may be losing the bigger picture.

Call for Participation: NAAB School Visits
Applications due February 29
Each year, the AIA nominates 10 practitioners to serve as AIA representatives on National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) school visits. Nominations are for a four-year term, 2008-2011, and AIA representatives may be scheduled for up to one school visit per year. If you have an appreciation of architecture education and would like to be involved in the accreditation process, submit a letter of interest and one-page resume no later than February 29 to the Institute’s director of education, Catherine Roussel, AIA, croussel@aia.org.

 

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This is the home of the weekly Best Practices column, news of tips and tools that you can use in your day-to-day practice and case studies illustrating “how-tos” and “lessons learned” for all stages of practice. The Practice Zone also features reports of research in architecture and related fields.