by John Gendall

Summary: Though AIA membership often connotes a cachet of seniority and experience, this belies the many valuable contributions made by an increasingly involved demographic: the emerging professional. These younger, recent graduates are providing a range of important voices—and taking on leadership roles—in the organization.

Teagan Andres, Assoc. AIA (left) and Haley Gipe, Assoc. AIA..

In this time of uncertainty, when students and graduates may be questioning the stability of the discipline, the relationship between the AIA and its younger members is more important than ever before. In Fresno, Calif., two younger Associate AIA members are working tirelessly in leadership roles and demonstrating the benefits of engaging the energies and perspectives of younger members.

When Haley Gipe, Assoc. AIA, and Teagan Andres, Assoc. AIA, started working at Darden Architects, a Fresno-based design firm specializing in education and healthcare projects, they wasted no time in getting involved with their local AIA chapter. Though they have been given a range of responsibilities in the office, they have found that the AIA offers an opportunity to broaden their experience in a complementary venue.

“For me, the AIA is about getting involved,” says Gipe. “Sometimes, as interns, we don’t have outlets to take on leadership roles, to get involved on committees or to do networking, but the AIA can be a great portal for that.”

Gipe graduated from CalPoly San Luis Obispo College of Architecture and Environmental Design in 2007, earning a professional BArch degree—along with three minors: environmental design, sustainable environments, and art & design.

She made it a point to join the AIA and has become an active participant, consistently contributing and taking on leadership positions. “Right now, a lot of what I do is about education,” she explains, referring to her role as the Intern Development Program (IDP) state coordinator for Northern California. “I go out to help with people on the road to licensure.”

California recently changed its IDP guidelines, so Gipe coaches both the interns and the supervisors about California’s licensure requirements. She herself is in the midst of this process, beginning to take her ARE exams. “As soon as I started at Darden, I started reporting my internship,” she says, “so I’m really familiar with the process.”

This summer, both Gipe and Andres worked on the same committee organizing a sand castle competition, an annual event that allows local architects to compete in a design-build project in an 18’x18’ sandbox. “It’s a fun event,” says Gipe. “It demonstrates to the public what architects can do, and it brings out families, friends, and a lot of curious passers-by.”

The two of them also attended the 2009 AIA National Convention in San Francisco earlier this year. “It was a really, really great opportunity,” says Andres. “There were a lot of education events that we just don’t get in Fresno. And I met a lot of other architects.”

Originally from Connecticut, Andres went to MIT, where she studied architecture, earning a B.A. in art & design in 2008. After graduating, she moved across the country to join the team at Darden Architects. “Getting involved with the AIA has been great in terms of networking and getting to know people—especially since I’m not from this area,” she says.

Even though she grew up in Fresno, Gipe agrees. “Through the AIA, I’ve been able to meet a lot of amazing people from all over the country,” she explains. “I wouldn’t be meeting these people by sitting in Fresno.”

“Architecture is always changing, always evolving,” says Gipe, who sees her AIA membership as “invaluable” to her career and plans to renew for 2010. “The AIA offers the chance to continue learning about the profession by learning from each other. It’s important to remember it’s about mutual understanding. We are the next generation, and like any profession, it’s important to pass along knowledge—not just about design, but about the discipline, ethics, and practice.”