Finally, Some Improvement in Nonresidential Construction Projected for 2004
AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel points to commercial/industrial sectors to lead reversal of four-year nonresidential downturn
After four straight years on a downhill slide, the nonresidential construction sector is finally ready to turn the corner, according to the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel. AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA, reports that the panel expects nonresidential construction activity to increase almost 3 percent in 2004 even after adjusting for inflation, with gains expected in most of the major construction sectors. Leading the upturn will be the harder hit, and more volatile, commercial and industrial sectors.

Hopkins Takes Helm as 2004 President
Term to focus on ethical responsibility, advocacy, and inclusiveness
Eugene C. Hopkins, FAIA, senior vice president, SmithGroup, Inc., became the 80th AIA president December 5 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Hopkins succeeds Thompson E. Penney, FAIA.

Virginia Architects Honored for Design Excellence
The Virginia Society/AIA presented 11 projects by architects in the region with Awards for Excellence in Architecture at the sixth annual Visions for Architecture ceremonies. The program, cosponsored by the Virginia Foundation for Architecture, took place November 7 in Richmond. The winners, ranging from a small log cabin addition in Waterford, Va., to a large digital library in Korea, come from a field of 117 submissions representing four AIA chapters. Of the seven honor award winners and four merit award winners, three of the projects are unbuilt. Rod Kruse, FAIA, Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck Architecture, Des Moines, headed the jury.

The College of Fellows
Is in Good Hands
As the AIA recognized its new leadership, so too did the AIA College of Fellows. Here is the new COF Executive Committee (left to right): Bursar Ted P. Pappas, FAIA; Vice Chancellor Lawrence J. Leis, FAIA; Chancellor Betsey O. Dougherty, FAIA; and Secretary Frank Lucas, FAIA. The group paused for a pose at Dougherty’s inaugural December 4.
(Photo by Douglas E. Gordon, Hon. AIA.)

AIA Las Vegas Welcomes
U.S. Senator
The AIA Las Vegas Board of Directors welcomed U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D) (center) of Nevada to their offices during their fall meeting. AIA Nevada President David Frommer, AIA, (left) and AIA Las Vegas President Dale Scheideman, AIA, presented a contribution from ArchiPAC, the Federal Political Action Committee of the AIA, to the senator’s reelection campaign. The senator counts building livable communities in Nevada as one of his legislative priorities, and has supported legislation funding brownfields redevelopment, school construction, and improved transportation systems. For information on hosting political events at your component, contact Adam Melis, the AIA’s political program manager, 202-626-7383.

PROJECT WATCH
McIntosh Poris Meets Mies in Detroit
Detroit architects McIntosh Poris Associates is set to embark on a renovation and residential expansion of Lafayette Park, the model of Modern city planning designed by Mies van der Rohe. The architects say the redevelopment plan, including 30 new-town homes and an update of an existing retail center, builds on Mies’ original vision of creating an integrated urban community.

The AIA Angle
As the AIA members’ source of local, state, and national government news, the AIA Angle comes out every two weeks. Here are the stories in this issue.
New SF 330 for A/E services procurement mandates QBS: Debut of the new streamlined SF330, replacing SF254/255, is in the offing. AIA Pushes Corporate Tax Issue: AIA Government Affairs works with congressional tax-writing committees to include provisions for A/E corporate tax relief. AIA to host building permit review: An AIA working group examines the causes of current permit delays and works with city officials for more efficiency. For these stories and more, visit the AIA Angle Web page.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only)
The economy: Big business is spending again. Interest rates will go up, but very slowly, with inflation next year dipping to 2 percent. Office tech: Desktop PC prices should drop 6 percent next year as firms ramp up equipment replacement. Watch for self-diagnosing IT in a few years. HR: Weight reduction is a new corporate hot button. Sprint and Capital One are leading the way in exercise-enhancing facility design.
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.

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