February 2015

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SPP Awards 2014
Small Project Practioners Journal

Letter from the Editor

By Carolyn Adams, AIA

Welcome to the Winter 2015 Issue of the Small Project Practitioners Journal.

Though diverse in scope and content, the articles and projects featured in this issue share a common sensibility: thoughtfulness, simplicity and elegance in approach to design and problem solving.

Scott Lawrence, Assoc. AIA presents Immersion Workshop, an intensive weeklong master class during which culturally sensitive, contextually responsive design is explored in depth by a group of educators, well-known architect-tutors and student participants. In this day of the fast-tracked project Immersion Workshop might be the architects’ equivalent to the “Slow Food” movement.

Read more »

In this issue

Feature Articles

Immersion Workshop

By Scott Lawrence, Assoc. AIA

Immersion Workshop

A-C, E-F: Participants on site and in the studio at Immersion | Sonoma Coast
D: Proposal for Abalone Dive Hostel - Matt Wiebe

Photos by Kevin Nguyen, AIA [A-C, E, F] and Matt Wiebe [D]

Immersion Workshop is a small not-for-profit organization focused on contextually responsive design. Since 2011, it has taken Glenn Murcutt's words above, and the example set by master classes run through Architecture Foundation Australia, as its charge in the creation of a series of master classes that critically engage, firsthand, the relationship between architecture and its place.

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2014 AIA Innovation and Practice in Housing Design Research Grant

By Alison Steele

Lydia Street Alley Flat

Photo by ACDDC

As the national trend of urbanization continues, cities across the country are experiencing housing shortages, markedly affordable housing shortages. Urban infill through the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) offers a promising strategy to allay demand while preserving neighborhood character and diversity.

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Featured Projects

Renovation and Re-Installation of the African Galleries

By VJAA | Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Minneapolis, Minnesota

African Galleries

Photo by Caroline Yang

Framework: The design is intended to address the overarching theme, “Material Journeys – African Art in Motion,” referring to the movement of both objects and people, including the visitors themselves as they move through the space. This reinstallation focuses on the social context of African art and the many ways in which the art reveals the millennia-old exchange of cultural ideas across the African continent and beyond.

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Corcega Chapel

By Ada Caro | Rincon, Puerto Rico

Corcega Chapel
Photo by Victor Glass

Corcega Chapel
Photo by Victor Glass

Located in a small town near the coast in Puerto Rico, a new chapel was designed to accommodate a growing parish. Two factors drove the design: to provide protection from direct sunlight and to allow cross ventilation, while maintaining the presbytery (altar area) as the visual focus of the chapel's interior.  

Read more »

Upcoming Events

SPP Pop Up Competition: Submit Your Project Today

Submissions due this Friday, February 13, 2015

The AIA Small Project Practitioners invites AIA, Assoc. AIA and architecture students to submit design ideas to the 2015 SPP Small Project Design Competition – POP-UP 2015.

In this unique design competition, submitters are asked to design a discreet, compact and efficient shelter for the homeless.

Entry Fee:
The non-refundable entry fee per submission for this program is $75.00 for AIA Members / $150 for Non-Members.

** International registrants, please register via the international application form as you will have trouble with our online system.

Winners will be expected to build and then assemble the winning design in Atlanta where it will be displayed at the convention center, or nearby, during the 2015 AIA National Convention in Atlanta, GA – May 14-16 2015. A travel stipend and construction budget will be provided.

Learn More

Submit Your Project

Join SPP at 2015 AIA National Convention

2015 AIA National Convention

EV214: Reception for SPP, CRAN, and Housing Knowledge Communities
May 14, 2015 \ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM \ Fee: $0

Enjoy a relaxing evening with your peers in an intimate setting at a local venue. Join architects, leaders, small firm owners, and AIA members with diverse interests ranging from small projects to custom residential design to affordable housing. The informal reception will provide opportunities for networking and sharing of best practices.

Register Now

TH102 Pleasure: The 2015 AIA Small Project Design Awards
May 14, 2015 \ 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM \ Georgia World Congress Center \ 1.00 LU \ Fee: $0

Led by facilitators from the Small Projects Practitioners Knowledge Community, this interactive presentation will commemorate award-winning projects. Plus, project designers will discuss their processes and the ways in which pleasure can be found in architecture.

Please join us for the opportunity to:

  • Analyze award-winning elements and ideas.
  • Evaluate high-quality design work within the constraints of budget and size.
  • Engage with award winners, jurors, and other attendees to develop strategies for your own designs.

If gaining a better understanding of what makes up a winning design could help you improve the quality of your projects, then this is the session for you.

Speakers:
Marc Manack

Principal / Assistant Professor, SILO AR+D / University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Marika Snider, AIA, PhD
Principal Architect, Snider Architecture, Beavercreek, Ohio

Register Now

FR211: Publishing for the Small Practice
May 15, 2015 \ 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM \ Georgia World Congress Center \ 1.00 LU \ Fee: $0

How does a busy practitioner of a small firm find the time to filter, evaluate, and absorb the endless amounts of relevant content? On the flip side, what's the best way to identify viable publishing opportunities to help advance a design practice?

In "Publishing for a Small Practice," you'll come away with enhanced knowledge of:

  • Trends in the A/E/C publishing industry
  • Issues relevant to today's small practice
  • Strategies for identifying effective publishing platforms
  • Techniques for developing project submissions and stories

Plus, panelists will address audience questions during a Q&A session.

Speakers:
Carolyn C. Adams, AIA
Carolyn Adams, Carolyn Adams Architect, Kirkland, Washington

Panelists:
David Basulto

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ArchDaily, Santiago, Chile

Alan G. Brake
Executive Editor, The Architect's Newspaper, New York, New York

Register Now

FR303: Alternative Contract Models for Small Projects
May 15, 2015 \ 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM \ Georgia World Congress Center \ 1.00 LU \ Fee: $0

This session will examine master agreements and task orders, with an interactive exploration that breaks down key concepts and allows you to use standard contracts for a wider array of services and projects. You'll also learn how to use residential design-build contracts for custom residential work.

Simplify your contract struggles with this informative session, and take away practical tools, resources, and information that you can immediately apply to your practice for easier delivery of small projects.

Speakers:
Joshua Ballance, Esq.
Associate Counsel, The American Institute of Architects, Washington, District of Columbia

Marika Snider, AIA, PhD
Principal Architect, Snider Architecture, Beavercreek, Ohio

Register Now

FREE Webinar: Using AIA Tools to Manage Legal Issues on Sustainable Projects

Sponsored by SPP and AIA Contract Documents
Tuesday, March 3, 2015 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET | Earn 1.0 AIA HSW LU

Through an exploration of the design-bid-build and construction management delivery models, participants in this course will understand the unique roles, responsibilities, risks and opportunities unique to sustainable design and construction projects and discover how to reduce, or better allocate, contractual risks using the AIA’s Sustainable Projects Contract Documents and the revised AIA Sustainability Guide.   

Learning Objectives:
Participants attending this webinar will:

  1. Examine how a clear understanding of each party’s unique roles and responsibilities will reduce project delays and misunderstandings; contribute to a successful sustainable project; and enhance the health and well-being of building occupants.
  2. Discover the unique contractual risks architects, owners and contractors face when designing, constructing, or operating sustainable projects.
  3. Identify the key contractual modifications that help alleviate the risks and challenges of Sustainable Design and Construction and understand the business and practice implications to be considered by owners, architects and contractors.
  4. Explore new sustainable concepts related to the Construction Management delivery model and how these concepts contrast with the typical design-bid-build delivery model.
AIA Continuing Education
Earn 1.0 AIA HSW LU

Register Now

FREE Webinar: Meeting Challenges & Overcoming Obstacles During CCA- Approaches Toward Best Practice

Sponsored by the AIA Construction Contract Administration (CCA) Knowledge Community
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET | Earn 1.0 AIA LUs | Learn more

An approach toward ideas for advancing the effectiveness and value of architectural service provided in the construction contract administration phase. Identifying some of the challenges encountered during this phase, ideas for establishing a methodology in anticipation, to avoid them and preparations made to surmount them.

Learning Objectives:
Participants attending this webinar will:

  1. Be able to evaluate and develop approaches toward preparedness and beneficial staff training.
  2. Discuss the benefits of CCA staff involvement in the project design and documentation process and potential toward proper interpretation of the contract documents.
  3. Understand the necessity, objectives and value of a clearly defined scope of services.
  4. Develop an understanding of the approaches toward controlling the CCA procedures and process.
AIA Continuing Education
Earn 1.0 AIA LUs

Register Now

Resources

New! AIAU Courses for Small Project Practitioners

AIAU logo

Our desire to continue learning is what keeps us sharp and our profession relevant. Now with AIAU, the AIA’s new online education platform, anyone in the world with an Internet connection can access top courses on topics specifically in the interests of Small Projects Practicitioners and taught by leading experts in architecture, engineering, and performance management.

Courses are carefully curated and cover the latest techniques in practice management, how to include sustainability principles into small projects, and much more.

Check out these great courses:

Avoiding or Reducing Architect-Contractor Conflicts in Small Projects│ Earns 1.5 LUs / RIBA

Designing to an Energy Budget: Focus on Small Firms and Projects│ Earns 1 LU / GBCI / RIBA

Small Firm Sustainable Strategies: Applying Sustainable Principles to Small Projects│ Earns 1.5 LUs / HSW / GBCI / RIBA

Attracting, Retaining, and Engaging Tomorrow's Firm Leaders
│ Earns 1 LU / RIBA

Reclaim Your Power! Win New Work by Being the Leader you are Meant to Be
│ Earns 1.50 LUs / RIBA

Profiting From Design Build for a Residential Practice
│ Earns 1.50 LUs / RIBA

Individual courses are $25 for AIA members and $40 for non-members.  Buy four or more courses and save 15%, no promo code needed.

Check out more great courses on AIAU >

Did you know anyone can join AIA Small Project Practitioners for FREE? Sign-up on AIA KnowledgeNet and start a discussion in the AIA SPP Discussion Forum.

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