Beginning with this issue, Perspective will change from a bi-monthly newsletter to a monthly electronic edition. We hope you will appreciate this more frequent communication. In addition to obvious changes, the President 's letter will appear next month, alternating with the Executive Director's letter. Please email your suggestions and comments to membership@aiahouston.org.

Every summer executive directors of AIA chapters all over the country meet to discuss common problems, hear about new directions from the national officers and staff, and give each other pointers on great programs and benefits that have worked in their chapters.

I’ve just returned from Portland, Oregon, where I discovered the Houston Chapter is doing some things very well but has a lot of room for improvement in other areas (like weather!). Portland was beautiful and cool, and AIA Portland members and staff were wonderful hosts. The opening reception was held in their enviable street front offices (see photos above). As a newbie, this meeting was particularly inspiring and informative for me. There are seven staffed chapters in Texas, and my counterparts in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, Lubbock, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley continue to provide the most helpful insights and suggestions. It’s my new club, and I’m thrilled to be a member! There’s not enough room here to share all the great ideas and thoughts I brought back, but you might like to know some highlights.

AIA Santa Clara has developed a program called “Architecture 101” to teach community leaders and others about what architects do, how they do it, and why it is so important. There are five topics covered in the PowerPoint presentation: History and Design of Cities; Architectural Vocabulary; Building Elements; Integration of Art and Architecture; and “What is Good Design.” AIA Seattle presents a 3-hour seminar one Saturday a month for potential clients. Called “How to Select & Work with and Architect.” The course was developed and is presented by AIA members and is quite popular, particularly among those interested in building or remodeling a house. I think AIA Houston should look into purchasing the Santa Clara program and instituting (and widely advertising) a local program for potential clients. Let me know what you think.

You should be happy to know I spent an entire morning in the Finance seminar, from which I have three pages of notes. Houston has a good accounting system, and now we have a part-time professional bookkeeper who is very meticulous. So all that money you pour into dues, documents, and continuing education programs is well taken care of. We should and will constantly reevaluate our programs, striving to provide you with the benefits you want and need. Here is why I know we are ahead of the game. One tip was not to put your reserve funds into high-risk stocks. Apparently one chapter had done that looking to double their money (maybe it was Las Vegas) and, of course, lost it all. AIA Houston, I promise, is a lot smarter than that.

Another half-day session on chapter offices as Architecture Centers was crowded. Many chapters are looking to New York, Boston, Richmond, Philadelphia and other cities to provide guidance in establishing a more visible and community-oriented place. These chapters have accessible offices combined with exhibition space, auditoriums, coffee houses, bookstores, etc. The phenomenal success of these centers in promoting architects and their work has created a tidal wave of interest in transforming traditional AIA offices, such as ours, into a place tourists can visit to learn about the city, as well as creating a venue for community events that draw local leaders, students, and potential clients into the AIA sphere. AIA Dallas already has established a task force to find and program such a space. I have seen the synergy created in New York, Seattle, and now Portland first-hand, and it works! AIA Houston should consider this possibility.

I came away with many other great ideas that will find their way into our Continuing Education and Design Awards programs. You will see these in due time, or you can come and join the discussion at the committee level – of course, everyone is welcome!

From Kirksey

	Kirksey would like to announce the promotion of the following architects to Associate: Brian Richard , AIA, Gregg Kalba, AIA, Michael Boykin, Assoc. AIA, Jason Puchot , Assoc. AIA and Kathy Collins, Assoc. AIA to Associate. Kirksey would like to announce the promotion of Kathleen Irwin , Assoc. AIA (left) , to Senior Associate
	Christopher S. Upton, AIA (left), Director of Healthcare Planning, has been appointed the State Director of Texas for the American Academy of Medical Administrators.

From Haynes Whaley Associates, Inc.

James D. Pyeatt, P.E. was promoted to Associate Vice President at Haynes Whaley, Diamond Affiliate, AIA Houston.

Chris Vadala was promoted to Marketing Representative. Kim Baker; Jennifer L Buchanan, P.E.; Sonja R. Jordan; Shaun Kirk, P.E.; and Amy Moen,
CPSM were promoted to Associate.

Founded in Houston, Texas in 1976, and with offices in Reston, Virginia and Austin, Texas,
Haynes Whaley Associates offers structural engineering services throughout the U.S. for a diverse range of building projects.

From Leo A Daly

The architectural group of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. has taken the name of its parent company, LEO A DALY. The office structure and staff remain in place with the change aimed at promoting coordination with the other LEO A DALY offices.

The LEO A DALY Houston office will focus on projects in three major market sectors: higher education; aviation; and sports and assembly. LAN/LEO A DALY projects have included: Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport Terminal Improvements; the Laredo Entertainment Center, Laredo, Texas; the new Baseball Stadium at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas; and Reliant Stadium as a part of Houston Stadium Consultants JV.

The Houston office has a staff of more than 40 professionals under the direction of Managing Principal George R. Jumonville, AIA. Jumonville has been a practicing architect in the Houston area for over 38 years and is a member of the American Institute of Architects and Texas Society of Architects. He serves on the Texas A&M College of Architecture Dean’s Advisory Council and is a former chair of the St. Francis Episcopal Day School board in Houston.

Leading the sports and assembly sector is Bill Merrill, AIA. With over 25 years of public assembly facility design, Merrill has been directed numerous sports and assembly projects throughout the nation, such as Houston ’s Reliant Stadium, Kyle Field at Texas A&M University and CenturyTel Center in Bossier City , LA. LEO A DALY, an internationally recognized design firm established in 1915, is one of the nation’s largest privately held multidisciplinary firms. Ranked seventh by Building Design & Construction magazine and fourth by Interior Design magazine, LEO A DALY is headquartered in Omaha, Neb. The firm also has offices in Dallas, Atlanta, Honolulu, Las Vegas , Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis , Phoenix , Washington, DC. and Hong Kong . Recent significant projects by LEO A DALY include the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC; Cheung Kong Center in Hong Kong; and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles .

George R. Jumonville, AIA (at left), Managing Principal of LEO A DALY’s Houston office, overlooking the National World War II Memorial in Washington , DC . LEO A DALY was the architect, engineer, and head of the design team for the memorial, which is one of several nationally prominent projects completed by the firm. (Photo by Dan Walsh/LEO A DALY)

From Brave / Architecture

Zui Ng has joined the firm as Intern Architect. Some of the firm’s new projects include the design of a reproduction of James Burnet’s homestead at Burnet Park, and a bank in Brenham, TX.

From EDI Architecture, Inc.

EDI ARCHITECTURE, INC is pleased to announce the completion of Silverado Country Club(above) in the Napa Valley.EDI provided planning, architecture and interior design services for the approximately 10,000 square foot private country club.

Silverado Country Club and Resort Hotel, Napa Valley ’s premier venue for meetings and conventions, has recently added a new country club to compliment two 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr. golf courses. The clubhouse features a grille, lounge, board room, Pro Shop and locker facilities. Influences of the Napa Valley winery were incorporated into the interior of the new building. A contemporary contrast to the interior of the existing mansion facility.

The 16,000 square foot complex is the largest private resort Spa in California ’s famed wine country. Silverado’s historic white-pillared mansion serves as the focal point of the 1,200 acre resort. Luxury accommodations are found in private cottage suites clustered around hidden courtyards and secluded swimming pools. In addition to golf, the resort features Northern California ’s largest tennis complex and a wide range of meeting space options.

EDI Architecture, Inc. provided planning, architecture and interior design services for the project. EDI is a multi-national firm providing commercial and residential architecture, land planning and commercial interior design services from offices in San Francisco, California; Houston, Texas; New York, New York; Springdale, Arkansas; and Luanda, Angola.

From Tuner Partners Architecture, LLP

Additions and renovations to the historic First Presbyterian Church located in downtown Longview, Texas have recently been completed. The project involved the addition of a 400-seat multi-use hall and preschool classrooms, along with major renovations to the existing classrooms, a new gathering hall, church entry, and library. The General Contractor for the project was Transet Company.

From Enter Architecture

Preservation Texas awarded Bay City Dental (above) its Historic Rehabilitation Award at the Treasures of Texas Dinner in Austin, April 15, 2005. The project was completed in December 2004. The project was one of only seven in the state presented with the award. Preservation Texas is a Statewide Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable in Texas through education, communication, advocacy and collaboration.

In 1959 Bay City pharmacist Robert Clark commissioned Don J. Tomasco of Houston to design the eponymous Clark Pharmacy at 1801 Merlin Street. During the rehabilitation process extensive alterations were stripped and the steel frame building was enlarged to the east using the same architectural language as the original. An opening was cut through the brick party wall to connect the two parts that was finished using reclaimed bricks. The walls of the addition were clad in glazed orange brick, the same tone as the original, to subtly demarcate the division between old and new.Local Architect Karen Lantz, AIA and her firm Enter Architecture worked with general contractor Gabe Garcia of Gem Building Group for the project. Engineering consultants were Ciarinn Higgins of Higgins, Inc and Rick Packard of Packard Engineering Associates.

Enter Architecture is also pleased to welcome our new Director of Client Services, Sally Joyce to the firm. Sally comes to Enter Architecture with a BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas and a Master of Architecture from the University of Houston. Sally's experience spans the corporate world to the nonprofit sector. Her business management, administrative, and architecture experience will make her a valuable asset to Enter Architecture. Sally is committed to the preservation of modern architecture, serving on the Board of Houston Mod and involved in providing affordable housing in Houston through her work with Avenue Community Development Corporation. sallyjoyce@enterarchitecture.com

From HOK

Kim Vinson will lead global business development activities for HOK's Advance Strategies Group. Vinson’s role will focus on developing new client relationships to support its business plan to provide advisory and planning services for real estate strategy, facilities planning, workplace solutions, and on-site workplace services. “We are delighted to have Kim join us,” said Steven D. Morton, Senior Vice President, HOK Advance Strategies. “The expertise she brings will help ensure that we reach new clients from a diverse range of industries, markets, and geographies.” Ms. Vinson has 13 years of business development and marketing experience in the A/E/C industry. She spent the last five years of her career as the business development director for Design Workshop, Inc., an international multi-office landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm in Denver.

Prior to her tenure with Design Workshop, Ms. Vinson held positions as the Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for Tri Star, a themed construction company, and Marketing Manager for EDAW, an international landscape architecture, planning, and environmental planning firm. Ms. Vinson holds a BA in journalism from San Jose State University. She can be reached in Houston at 713-407-7715 and at kim.vinson@hok.com.

Eberhard Laepple has joined the Houston office as a consultant of theAdvance Strategies advisory services group. “Eberhard’s strength in analysis, research, and publishing will provide immediate value to our clients,” said Steven A. Parshall, FAIA, Senior Vice President, HOK Advance Strategies. “He has a unique perspective for leveragingcommunications and information technology to affect increased efficiency in architecture.” Laepple recently graduated from Texas A&M University where he received a PhD in Architecture with a Facility Management Certificate. Laepple was a William Caudill Fellow and worked at the CRS Center.

A native of Munich Germany, Laepple completed his masters degree while working for Mueller Arndt Partner Architects in Stuttgart, Germany. He is a member of the Design Build Institute of America, International Facility Management Association, and Association of Computer-Aided Design in Architecture. Laepple and his wife, Jessica, have recently moved to Houston from College Station.

From Bailey Architects

Restoration of the Wharton County Courthouse continues with phase one work completed. The courthouse will be crowned with its “new” tower on August 26, 2005 and a historic celebration is planned for downtown to watch the tower placement. The tower will rise 92 feet above the ground and contain a restored 1889 E. Howard clock, exactly the same as the original clock. The original courthouse bell has also been restored and will be raised to the roof along with the tower.

Wharton County Courthouse, built in 1889, was designed by Houston architect Eugene T. Heiner who achieved prominence as designer of 18 courthouses and as many jails throughout the Gulf Coast and Central Texas during the 1880s and 1890s. The courthouse was drastically changed in 1935 with a remodeling that removed the tower and high roofscape, built a one-story addition on the north and south sides, and covered the original brick and stone with yellow stucco in a Moderne style. Additions on the east and west in 1949 completed the ring around the structure but left the original structure completely unrecognizable.

“Courthouse restoration projects present some very unique challenges but this project has been fun and personally rewarding — learning about the history of the courthouse clue by clue,” commented Gerald Moorhead, FAIA of Bailey Architects and lead restoration architect for the project. The full restoration of the courthouse is expected to be finished by early summer2006.

Bailey Architects is a Houston-based architectural, planning and interior design firm founded in 1975 in Houston and specializes in award-winning historical preservation, commercial, retail, renovation, library, educational and liturgical architecture. The firm is currently working on six historical courthouse restoration projects throughout Texas and is recognized by the Texas Historical Commission as a qualified firm to work on historic and architecturally significant structures.

"Beyond Intuition" Redux

The AIA College of Fellows awarded the 2005 Latrobe Fellowship to Chong Partners, Kaiser Permanente, and the University of California at Berkley. The $100,000 Grant recipient in 2003 was Richard Eberhard and the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, who presented our “Beyond Intuition: How the Brain Perceives Architecture” seminar in April. The 2005 grant will build on Eberhard’s biomedical research, but the Chong Partners project will specifically look at the link between healthcare facility design and faster healing rates in patients of different cultures. The study, “Multi-cultural Influences on the Design of a Healthcare Setting” will incorporate techniques from psychology, sociology, and neuroscience. A strength of the winning grant application was the unusual collaboration of an architect, client, and university.

Houses Announced
2005 AIA Houston Home Tour

SAVE THE DATE:  Thursday, November 10, 2005 AIA – AGC 2005 Joint Meeting

The AIA – AGC Joint Annual Meeting will be a great party plus a tour of the new Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Houston Branch, designed by Michael Graves with PGAL. Linbeck is the contractor. The formal opening of the building will be the end of October, so we will be among the first groups to have a chance to tour the building. We are very fortunate to be allowed to hold our event there because of the bank’s “business only” policy. The evening will include guided tours of the building, a chance to see the money operations, shredded money souvenirs, open bars, and plenty of delicious food for only $25 per ticket. Look for your invitation and rsvp information in October.  This will be a wonderful opportunity for contractors and architects to smooze. So save the date!