AIA Puts Together Louisiana Recovery and Rebuilding Conference in New Orleans, November 10–12
A collaborative visioning conference for the long-range rebuilding and recovery of Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be held in New Orleans, November 10–12. The three-day program marks the beginning of the process that will bring local and national design and planning professionals together with Louisiana public officials, civic groups, and business organizations to develop a body of principles that will guide Louisiana’s long-range recovery efforts.

ImaginOn Unites Children’s Library and Theatre
Charlotte leads the way in creating integrated learning environment
A new, one-of-a-kind facility simultaneously is turning heads and reinventing children’s educational and entertainment spaces in Charlotte. ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center by Holzman Moss Architecture, with Gantt Huberman Architects, is designed to “nurture young people at every stage of development.” With its sloping roof, playful geometrical shapes, and focus on storytelling, ImaginOn is both compelling and engaging for visitors of all ages.

Edmund N. Bacon, FAIA (1910–2005)
Visionary city planner led Philadelphia’s renaissance
Edmund Norwood Bacon, FAIA, noted director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission from 1949 to 1970, died in his home on October 14. Equally described as “irascible” and “brilliant,” Bacon dedicated his professional career to making the City of Brotherly Love more beautiful and livable. He once called Philadelphia “the worst, most backward, stupid city that I ever heard of,” but also said, well before he was given responsibility for planning the city, that he would “devote my life’s blood to making Philadelphia as good as I could.”

Design Shines in Sunflower State
AIA Kansas bestows honors on 14 projects
The AIA Kansas chapter presented their Annual Design Awards on September 23 in Overland Park, Kans. The chapter honored five projects for design excellence, three for unbuilt architecture, and three student projects. At the event, the chapter, in cooperation with the Kansas Masonry Industry Council, also presented the second Annual Design Awards for the Use of Masonry to three projects.

Collateral Organizations, Stakeholders, and Emerging Professionals “Design Tomorrow’s Architect”
Leaders from each of the five U.S. architecture collateral organizations—The AIA, American Institute of Architecture Students, Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, National Architectural Accrediting Board, and National Council of Architectural Registration Boards—along with selected stakeholders and emerging professionals convened for the “Designing Tomorrow’s Architect: 2005 Internship Conference” to advance work to improve architecture internship. Ken Schwartz, FAIA, guided discussion for the three-day conference, which took place September 23–25 in San Antonio.

AIA Joins Mississippi Governor Barbour in Renewal Initiative
Biloxi, Miss., residents and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour gave a resounding thank you to a team of architects after a six-day charrette October 12–17 as part of the Mississippi Governor’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal. Organized by the Chicago-based Congress for the New Urbanism with strong local participation, the brainstorming sessions focused on developing a coordinated effort to rebuild the Mississippi Gulf coast.

AIA Components Come Through for Katrina Victims
Hats off to the AIA components who contributed generously to the AIA’s Displaced Architects Fund and sponsored office equipment: AIA Kentucky; AIA Central Washington; Center for Architecture, Philadelphia; St. Louis Chapter of the AIA; Northern Chapter of AIA Idaho Chapter; AIA Maine Chapter; AIA NE Wisconsin; Palm Beach Chapter AIA; AIA New York State; AIA Washington Council; Texas Society of Architects; AIA New Mexico; AIA South Carolina Chapter; AIA California Council: New York Foundation for Architecture; Southeast Chapter of Wisconsin, AIA; and AIA Portland. For more information or to contribute, visit the AIA Web site’s Katrina Recovery section.

project watch
Visu-centric Design Drives Gallaudet Program
SmithGroup is designing the new James Lee Sorenson Language and Communications Center (SLCC) at Washington D.C.’s Gallaudet University, one of the world’s leading institutions for the deaf and hard of hearing. Through the fascinating design process, says SmithGroup’s Tom Butcavage, the team is focusing on a heightened visual experience or “visu-centric” design for the Gallaudet community.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only, AIA.org login required)
The economy: Long-term interest rates are slowly creeping up.
Business travel: Costs are going up, with amenities to be had.
Trade: Developing nations cause soaring demand.
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?
October 3 | October 10 | October 17 | October 24

BEST PRACTICES
Integrated Practice and the New Architect:
Keeper of Knowledge and Rules
One scenario for expanding practice
Today’s information technology offers an unprecedented opportunity to integrate the fragmented processes of building design, product manufacturing, and construction together into a highly interactive enterprise. Architects could put themselves at the center of that transformation by taking on the role of project information manager. Jonathan Cohen, FAIA, explains this historic opportunity for process reform in the building industry.

Brazilian Exposition Features Tribute to Sam Mockbee
The “Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio” exhibition, presented by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in cooperation with the AIA, is a highlight of the sixth Sao Paulo Bienal of Architecture, which opens in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on October 22. The exhibit presents photographs of the late Gold Medal recipient’s Rural Studio’s projects by award-winning photographer Timothy Hursley, as well as a video about the studio. Sponsored by the Brazilian Institute and the São Paulo Biennial Foundation, the exhibition, which also offers architecture representations from Argentina, Germany, South Africa, Austria, China, Singapore, France, Netherlands, Israel, Mexico, Portugal, and Sweden, is expected to draw more than 200,000 viewers. For more information, visit the bienal’s Web site. (Photo © Timothy Hursley.)

National Trust Seeks Candidates for Most Endangered Historic Places List
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is now accepting nominations for the 2006 America’s “11 Most Endangered Historic Places” list; nominations must be postmarked by January 18, 2006. Each year, the National Trust issues this list to raise awareness of historic sites at risk from neglect, deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds, inappropriate development, or insensitive public policy. Among the many sites that have been listed in the past are Vieux Carré in New Orleans; Ellis Island in New York Harbor; and the Ennis House in Los Angeles. The National Trust uses three primary criteria to determine the 11 finalists: significance, urgency, and potential solutions. For more information and to download the application form, visit the trust’s Web site. (Pictured is Utah’s Nine Mile Canyon, home of 10,000 petroglyphs and pictographs. The site, on the 2004 endangered list, is threatened by extensive oil and gas exploration plans approved by the federal Bureau of Land Management.)

AIA CAREER CENTER
Here Are This Week’s Featured Opportunities

Potty nonparity: 50+ Great Bathrooms by Architects, edited by Aisha Hasanovic, (Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd, 2005) presents a collection of recent interior projects by the world’s leading established and emerging design talent. 50+ Great Bathrooms by Architects is available now to AIA members for the special price of $19.95 ($24.95 retail). To learn more or purchase, visit the AIA Store or call 800-242-3837, opt. #4.

Justice in the City: The Academy of Architecture for Justice Conference and Exposition, November 2–5, San Diego, will ask “What is the role of criminal justice facilities in the urban environment?” and “How are efficient criminal justice services provided in an urban setting?”

Design by building, virtually. Collaborate, early, to leverage collective knowledge. Share information openly, freely. Make decisions based on outcomes rather than first cost. Expand services. Learn more about Integrated Practice at www.aia.org/ip.

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

Check out these October specials: Courses—offering HSW credit—at a discounted rate for AIA members through October 31.

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.