It Takes a Village . . .
. . . To capture the enthusiasm and energy of this year’s Solar Decathlon
On the National Mall in Washington, D.C., 18 college and university teams from 13 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Spain built individual houses that create a “solar village” highlighting various sustainable design techniques and tools promoting energy efficiency, plus renewable energy exhibits. The village will be open to the public till October 16. The contest, made especially timely by current fuel price jumps, has students competing to “design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar powered house.”

Student Voices
Solar Decathletes Discuss Lessons Learned
AIArchitect traveled down to the National Mall on October 10 to speak with 2005 Solar Decathlon team members about their overall strategy for the solar homes and to hear from them the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Here’s what students from Washington State University, Cornell, University of Missouri-Rolla, and the New York Institute of Technology had to share.

Bond, Max Bond, Honored by New York Chapter
Architect and educator J. Max Bond, FAIA, partner at Davis Brody Bond, New York City, on October 6 received the AIA New York Chapter’s President’s Award at the 2005 Heritage Ball, the major fundraiser for the component and the Center for Architecture Foundation. The chapter honored Bond for his commitment to design excellence, activism, and diversity in the profession. Last week he spoke with AIArchitect about these very issues.

AIA Issues Gulf Region Economics Outlook
To offer a glimpse of how the broader economic context will affect rebuilding in the Gulf States, the AIA released “The Economic and Construction Outlook in the Gulf States After Hurricane Katrina,” on October 7. This analysis—written by AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA, and drawing from material supplied to the AIA by the economics consulting firm, economy.com, and from surveys of AIA members—addresses the economic impacts as well as likely building products and construction labor availability and timetables for the construction.

Old Dominion Honors Design Excellence
AIA Northern Virginia confers 2005 Design Awards
With recipients ranging from an above-ground subway station to two high schools and a row-house renovation, the Northern Virginia chapter of the AIA bestowed its 2005 Design Awards on 13 worthy projects. The chapter conferred five Awards of Excellence, six Awards of Merit, and two Special Citations at a celebratory gala earlier this summer. Now in its 30th year, the program recognizes design excellence achieved by its members.

AIA eClassroom Offers New Courses
Distance-learning programs cover wide range of topics of interest to everyone
AIA eClassroom has just added three new distance-learning programs to its extensive repertoire of continuing education classes for architects. These courses are derived from the highest-rated continuing-ed programs held at the 2005 AIA National Convention in Las Vegas and range in topic from mold to contract docs and schools. (Pictured, this prototype high school by Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects won an AIA Nevada citation award in 2002.)

project watch
Blue Devil Alumnus Realizes Campus Dream with Nasher Museum
The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University opened October 2 with a new building by Rafael Viñoly, FAIA, his first free-standing completed art museum in the country. The $23-million Modern building comprises five rectilinear pavilions that radiate from an irregular pentagonal central courtyard that is covered by a light canopy of glass and steel. The facility is arranged in the landscape to take advantage of the natural contours and open meadows of the site, referencing the university’s Gothic and Georgian architecture.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only, AIA.org login required)
The economy: The U.S. economy is strong enough to weather nature’s disasters.
Global economy: Japan is set to shine; some friction with China.
Disaster planning: Governments prepare for possible pandemic.
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?
September 19 | September 26 | October 3 | October 10

BEST PRACTICES in risk management
Zen and the Art of Construction Administration, Part 2
In Part 1 of this article, we learned from AIA Risk Management Committee gurus James B. Atkins, FAIA, and Grant A. Simpson, FAIA, that rather than practicing avoidance of what many architects consider an unpleasant chore, it will be more beneficial if architects discipline themselves to approach construction administration with a peaceful attitude, somewhat like the followers of the Zen school. In this installment, the authors offer some ideas for realizing that goal.

Watch for Sustainable Design Assessment Team RFP
The AIA Center for Communities by Design will release its 2006 Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Program request for proposals (RFP) on November 1. SDAT is a community assistance program that focuses on the principles of sustainability. The SDAT program provides a team of experts who work with local communities to help them frame future policies or design solution and plan the first steps of implementation. The SDAT program supports the AIA’s goal of helping communities create a sustainable relationship between humans, the natural environment, and place. To find out how your community can apply and for more information about the program, visit the SDAT Web site.

Nominations for 2006 Honorary Fellowship Deadline Approaching
Nominations for 2006 Honorary Fellowship must be postmarked by November 18. Election to Honorary Fellowship, the international counterpart to AIA Fellowship, recognizes the individual achievements of a foreign architect. A candidate must be an architect of esteemed character and distinguished achievements who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a U.S. resident and who does not primarily practice architecture within the domain of the Institute. Complete instructions and materials for the preparation of an Honorary Fellowship nomination may be obtained by contacting Kelly Pickard, AIA Honors and Awards, 202-626-7563 or kpickard@aia.org. (Pictured, 2005 Honorary Fellow Sang-Leem Lee of Korea leads the fellows investiture procession in Las Vegas, followed by 2005 Gold Medal recipient Santiago Calatrava, FAIA. Photo by Steve Walker, Innov8ivDesign.com)

Watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition October 16
Don’t forget to tune in to the October 16 episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. As reported in the September 26 issue, the episode features Drury University’s Design/Build class, taught by Traci Sooter, Assoc. AIA. Knowing no details other than that the project was for “an extremely good cause,” Sooter’s students signed on to design the interior of a bunkhouse for counselors and overflow campers at Camp Barnabus in the Ozarks, a summer camp that “exists to return childhood experiences to kids who have been robbed of them by disease.” The two-hour episode airs on ABC at 7:00 p.m. (EDT). (Pictured, Traci Sooter sanding with volunteer. Photo © Susan Christy.)

AIA CAREER CENTER
Here Are This Week’s Featured Opportunities

Carry on! Wouldn’t this Raya carry-all black tote with the red AIA Logo neatly organize that stuff you schlep from desk to site to client’s office? It even holds your water bottle separately on the side (no more wet sketchbook). The tote is available now to AIA members for the special price of $15.95 ($19.95 retail). To learn more or purchase, visit the AIA Store or call 800-242-3837, opt. #4.

Realizing a Sustainable Architecture for Health,
Los Angeles, October 19–22.
The Academy of Architecture for Health’s fall conference highlights how the principles of sustainability relate to health-care design.

Free Postings Through Year-end: You can post your project, firm, award, and other news for free on the AIA’s online new service through the end of 2005.

Check out the new Learning Management System: The site offers 140 courses; 20 of them brand new, fresh from the AIA 2005 National Convention in Las Vegas.

AIA Members Save with United Parcel Service (UPS): Save up to 20 percent on U.S. and international overnight air shipping with UPS, the world’s largest package-distribution company.
Call 800-325-7000, ext. 7600. Reference No. C-000-070-0037

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.

Save Time! AIA.org now features a trouble-shooting Knowledge Base to address your AIA Contract Documents software questions quickly and efficiently.

Gain protection for your architecture office and property with Business Owners Protection insurance. Ensure general liability protection with options to add business auto, workers comp, umbrella, and employment practices liability. Click here for specific information about this program. For information about all AIA Trust programs, visit their Web site.