Brooklyn Poly Prep Lower School Earns LEED Silver
First school in NYC; first primary school in New York State to achieve LEED certification
Brooklyn Poly Prep Lower School celebrated its LEED® Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council—in addition to its distinction of being the first school in New York City as well as the first primary school in the State of New York to be LEED certified—in a plaque presentation on June 10. In attendance was Sam White, representing the project architecture firm Platt Byard Dovell White Architects as well as borough commissioners, members of the public, and students from the school. Unanimously approved by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the new addition preserves distinguishing characteristics of its original 1892 Hulbert mansion, which has been reconfigured, with a new addition that features eight new classrooms, a multi-purpose gymnasium, and a skylighted dance studio. Among the sustainable features that helped the project achieve its LEED certification are design for a 30-percent reduction in potable water consumption, demand-controlled ventilation in high activity spaces, 83.4 percent of construction waste diverted from landfill, recycled products used for 22.5 percent of project’s materials, and daylight and outside views afforded to all classrooms. (Photo © Lester Ali.)

Being the Leader You’re Meant to Be by Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA
In this Member-to-Member article, Jonathan M. Taylor, Assoc. AIA, LEED-AP, the New England Associate Director of the National Associates Committee and the Massachusetts IDP State Coordinator presents his view of how the profession would benefit if NCARB’s member boards reject Resolution 2008-07 at their annual meeting later this month.

Vote for Accuracy not Arbitrary Timetables; Vote No on 2008-07
The future path of our profession is laid out in the AIA’s Strategic Plan. If you haven’t looked at it lately—or at all!—go to the AIA’s homepage. It’s short, so it won’t take too much time to read. But don’t confuse short for easy.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
Be a Speaker at the AIA 2009 National Convention and Design Exposition in San Francisco, April 30–May 2
Share your unique knowledge as a continuing-education speaker at the AIA 2009 National Convention and Design Exposition, April 30–May 2, in the City by the Bay. Themed “The Power of Diversity: Practice in a Complex World,” this convention, located in one of America’s most dynamic and diverse cities, will explore how to focus the immense energy and wealth of knowledge within the profession on the critical mission of realizing the inherent power of diversity in our culture and will recognize the power of a rich spectrum of ideas to empower an architecture that benefits all of society. The AIA is soliciting speaking proposals from industry thought leaders that reinforce this power of diversity and spurs discussion about practice in a complex world. The 2009 Call for Presentations, speakers’ guidelines, and submittal forms are now available online.

NBM Lecture Highlights 21st Century Workplace
You’re invited to “Preserving Modernism in a Green World,” June 30
The National Building Museum invites you to learn about when preservation and sustainability meet—or don't meet—in the preservation of buildings of the Modern era through the “Preserving Modernism in a Green World” lecture, June 30, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Using the AIA headquarters’ own 21st Century Workplace project as a case study, moderator Vernon Mays, editor-at-large for Architect magazine, will guide panelists through consideration of whether new technologies and renovation strategies provide a plausible future for these buildings from the recent past. Serving as panelists will be Barbara A. Campagna, AIA, LEED-AP, Graham Gund Architect of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Christopher Davis, Assoc. AIA, LEED-AP, LEED® certification coordinator for the U.S. Green Building Council; James A. Gatsch, FAIA, managing director, 21st Century Workplace, AIA; and Abram Goodrich, associate principal, STUDIOS Architecture, the project’s architect. Participants can earn 1.5 LUs; the cost is $12 for museum members and students, and $20 for non-members. For more information or to register, visit the National Building Museum Web site. (Photo by Douglas E. Gordon, Hon. AIA.)