AIArchitect | December 16, 2002

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	AIArchitect This Week—December 16, 2002

	President Bush Signs Terrorism “Backstop” Legislation To the relief of building, engineering, and design interests, President Bush signed legislation last month that makes the government responsible for most of the cost of insurance claims related to future terrorist attacks. Industry groups, including the AIA, applauded the measure, hoping that the federal aid would spur construction spending and jumpstart building projects that have languished as a result of tightening and disappearing insurance and reinsurance markets. Full Story Work-on-the-Boards Survey Weak Business Conditions Persist at Firms Billings at U.S. architecture firms were off for the fifth straight month in November. In comparison, the downturn in architecture firm activity lasted only six months after September 11, 2001. However, in this downturn the monthly losses have been relatively modest. Also, inquiries for new work at firms have remained positive during this recent downturn. Full Story Thompson E. Penney, FAIA, Takes Helm as 2003 AIA President Thompson E. Penney, FAIA, president and CEO of the Charleston, S.C.-based firm LS3P Associates Ltd., became the 79th president of the AIA December 6 during ceremonies held at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Penney succeeds Gordon H. Chong, FAIA. Full Story Board Adopts Strategic, Operating Plans; 2003 Budget The AIA Board of Directors on December 5 adopted a long-range strategic plan for the Institute for 2003–2005 and a supporting operating plan of programs and projects for 2003–2004. The Board also approved a 2003 operating budget. Full Story AIA Seattle Honors a Delightful Dozen Twelve teams receive awards at November 18 gala AIA Seattle played host to more than 900 people at the city’s award-winning Benroya Hall during the chapter’s annual gala to honor designer and client teams who produced this year's most outstanding architecture. Winners this year included three institutional projects by NBBJ and five residential projects. Full Story FROM THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE A Farewell Address from the 2002 AIA President Outgoing President Gordon H. Chong, FAIA, gave this address to the AIA Board of Directors December 6, his last day in office. We found his words of wisdom well worth sharing with the entire AIA membership. Full Story Need to catch up on recent editions of AIArchitect This Week? November 18 \| November 25 \| November 27 \| December 9 To see the complete table of contents for AIArchitect click here.
	News You Can Use

	BEST PRACTICES The Iron Man on Teamwork and Leadership At the first meeting of the 2003 AIA Board of Directors, President Thompson E. Penney, FAIA, announced that each Board meeting in the coming year will begin with “a special presentation that will set an inspirational tone for the meeting focused on the theme of that meeting to help us focus on the opportunities that lie ahead.” Speaking on leadership at the December 7 meeting was baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. Here is a synopsis. EPN Announces 2003 AIA Education Honor Awards Program The AIA Educator/Practitioner Net (EPN) announces the 14th AIA Education Honor Awards Program, which recognizes individuals who serve the profession as outstanding teachers. The program also serves to increase awareness of models of educational excellence in classroom, studio, community-based service learning, or laboratory work. All courses completed since January 1, 1998, which have not previously received AIA Education Honor Awards, are eligible for submission. Full Story PROJECT WATCH Music City, USA, Plans "Best Symphony Hall in the World" The City of Nashville revealed plans in late November to "build a performance venue second to none" in its central urban core. The Nashville Concert Hall, built to the tune of $120 million, is the brainchild of David M. Schwarz/Architectural Services (design architect), Earl Swennson Associates (architect of record), Hastings Architecture Associates (associate architect), and Paul Scarbrough/Akustiks (acoustician). The hall, which will open in 2006 will offer 1,900 seats and will be the only major concert hall in North America employing natural light (through an array of three dozen windows). The four-story building will feature a Neoclassical façade fashioned of limestone and boast a 180-foot-long colonnade facing Nashville's Gateway Park. This service is brought to you as an AIA-member benefit. The email list used to deliver AIArchitect This Week is maintained exclusively for that purpose by the AIA national component. To keep up with the universe of information the AIA gathers exclusively for members, visit the AIA's Web page. For member-only information, click onto "MyAIA: building on your skills" or use this shortcut. AIArchitect This Week is published by the AIA, Washington, D.C. Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You receive this email at: $subst('Recip.EmailAddr') because your address is on file in the AIA's membership database. To change your email address, send an email with your name, AIA member number, old email address and new email address to AIA Information Central. Or make the changes yourself. To remove your email address from this distribution list - but not from the AIA membership database - forward this message to: $subst('Email.UnSub')