Perspective is now a monthly electronic edition. It is available to members via email, and it is also posted on our website, www.aiahouston.org. Please email your suggestions and comments to membership@aiahouston.org.

In reading this, I hope you will forgive an anecdotal reference to a study I read (but can’t put my hands on) designed to prove that we architects are conflicted in our views about our skills as communicators - something each new generation of architects and educators, it seems, must be told. The study offers a picture something like this - architects are asked to rank their strengths in descending order of mastery, with communication as one of the skills to be considered. Architects rank themselves quite high, often selecting communication as their top attribute. Ask their clients the same thing, and it ranks much lower. You do not need a reference to know this is true. With each new intern you hire or as an intern new to practice yourself, you see this in the special language we speak in the office, completely unlike the angst-ridden, theory-speak you learned to navigate in school.

If you have read this far, bear with me. I am not going to continue about this problem our profession has been struggling with for almost 20 years, coinciding with the ascendancy of architectural theory as a discipline. No, I am rather engaged in a somewhat lengthy set-up to solicit feedback from you on how we at AIA Houston are going to communicate with one another. Specifically, I am exploring ideas about this very newsletter many of you tell us you don’t read. AIA Houston has 1,500 members and only about 150-200 are active. We are lucky to get 100 of you to the annual meeting, where voting for the chapter leadership occurs. So we are dependent upon passive forms of communication, e-mail, snail mail, and phone calls. Indeed, I am so interested in more feedback, I have asked each board member to conduct a firm visit to solicit your input in person. AIA Friday by all accounts has been a success. It works, we are told, because it comes on Friday and is short and to the point.

This newsletter, Perspective, is a digital monthly version of the hard copy bi-monthly newsletter we use to mail, the production and mailing of which cost over $30,000 annually. We were on the leading edge deciding to go digital, which is virtually free. Now we need to know what further transformation you would like to see in this digital format. With the monthly schedule, it is a challenge to generate exciting content. So -- what kind of communication do you want from AIA Houston? With AIA Friday, do we even need Perspective anymore? Can we live with more episodic forms of communication? Or can we collectively transform the newsletter venue to meet your needs? We will only know if you communicate with us.

We thought that AIA members would like to know what our sister organization, the Houston Architecture Foundation, is up to. Ray Leiker, the new president, has aligned the 2006 Board into committees and asked each member to serve on Development, Finance, Grants, Nominating, Long Range Planning, and the exciting Architecture Center of Houston Committee, which will be a joint committee with HAF and AIA Houston to study creating an architecture center to give the profession more visibility in street-front offices as well as provide exhibition space for your work.

The Foundation's grant cycle, established last year, reviews grants in March and September and makes awards in April and October. For information and application guidelines please contact Barrie Scardino at barrie@aiahouston.org. The Houston Architecture Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, was chartered in 1986, to promote awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the ways in which architecture and urban design influence and enhance the quality of life in our community.

The types of grants for HAF has awarded in the past have been for community assistance, publications and broadcasts, educational projects, and public service including the following: Architectural programming for public television; Houston Architectural Guide and other publications; K-12 architectural community education in classrooms; Research grants and Scholarships; Project Row Houses; Community Design Assistance Center; Stella Link Redevelopment Association; Affordable Housing Initiatives; Neighborhood Master Planning.

In 2005 HAF grants awarded were $15,000 for a community assessment and master plan outline for a 10 square-mile area in southwest Houston, facilitating SW Houston 2000’s bid to become the Fondren Ranch Management District. $10,000 to Central Houston, Inc. for their Urban Collaborative Program; $10,000 for the University of Houston’s Summer Discovery Program in the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture; $2,200 for support of Sharpstown Middle School’s architecture-related programs; $1,000 for the publication of Philip Johnson in Houston – Image and Imagination; a travel stipend of $500 for the winner of the Ben Brewer Young Architect of the Year Award; and $500 to the winner of the Michael Meyers High School Design Competition.

2006 Houston Architecture Foundation Board of Trustees

Celebrate Architecture 2006

 Honoring Jim Kollaer, FAIA

Benefiting the Houston Architecture Foundation

Celebrate Architecture 2006 honors the cooperative spirit between the Business Community and the Construction Industry in Houston. The Houston Architecture Foundation and AIA Houston visualize the relationship between these two important groups as meshed gears turning in separate spheres but aligned and interacting in a crucial way. Machines run only when all of the parts are in sync, working together to make something happen. Our 2006 Thomas Jefferson Award Winner is Jim Kollaer, FAIA, a business leader and architect who understands how to Make it Happen! We invite you to reserve your table now and consider a Sponsorship for Celebrate Architecture 2006, Making it Happen, Saturday, April 29, 2006. You are guaranteed a good time with a silent auction, a wonderful dinner, and a short program followed by dancing. The environment, in an exciting downtown location, will astonish you, and we promise some new surprises. To assure recognition in the invitation and program, please return a pledge form before March 10 with your check payable to the Houston Architecture Foundation. If you have any questions, call Barrie Scardino at 713-520-0155 or barrie@aiahouston.org. Don’t be left out! Click Here to download a Pledge form.

Host Committee
Dan Bellow, Staubach Companies
Laurie and Jeff Bricker, AIA, PageSoutherlandPage
Deborah Cannon, Houston Zoo
John Cryer, AIA, PageSoutherlandPage
Robert M. Eury, Central Houston Inc.
C. Richard Everett, FAIA, Century Development
James E. Furr, FAIA, Gensler
Kay and Ned Holmes, Parkway Investments
Lynne Liberato, Haynes and Boone LLP
Beth Robertson, Westview Development

Gala Committee
Frank Douglas, FAIA, The Douglas Group, Chair
Randall Walker, AIA, Kirksey, Co-Chair
Marjory Alexander, AIA, Kendall Heaton Associates, Co-Chair
Larry Whaley, PE, Haynes Whaley Associates , Underwriting
Amy Moen, Haynes Whaley Associates, Underwriting
Hether Benjamin-Brown, Auction
Sylvia Walker, Auction
Terri Hulder-Hull, Auction
Dan Hassebroek, AIA, Kirksey, Environment
Sally Campbell, Campbell Graphic Design, Graphics
Jeffrey Brown, AIA, President, AIA Houston
Ray Leiker, AIA, President, Houston Architecture Foundation
Barrie Scardino, Executive Director

Sponsorships

Click Here to download a Pledge form.

Some Observations on our Profession and Professional Education

David Watkins, FAIA Founder, Chairman, WHR Architects Inc., Houston / Dallas

In preparing for last year’s TSA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, 2006 TSA President James Nader asked me to moderate a panel discussion that would encourage more dialogue between our state’s educators and practitioners. A good state-wide sampling of our members signed up for the event and most of the heads of our architectural programs participated as well. The discussion was energetic and thought-provoking; so much so that James used the event as a springboard for a longer-term effort that he has dubbed "The Texas Initiative." This initiative will be an attempt to define the current and anticipated pressures on our profession with an eye toward measuring whether or not we are adequately equipping our current and future leaders to deal with these issues and trends. I prepared the following list of 12 trends that in my opinion are having (or will have) a profound impact on the way we practice.

Marginalization Areas where architects have historically provided leadership and influence are increasingly being taken over by others. The impact of our participation in our communities and in the design & construction industry is being diminished. Is this due in part to education? Has the curriculum we demand, the attitudes of our educators, the educational environment become divorced from the industry in which we operate or the communities we serve? Are we nurturing a false impression of the role of architects in our society?

Commoditization More and more, architectural services are being seen as a commodity and at times entirely price dependent. How do we confront the first cost mentality evidenced by reverse auction fee bidding? How do we better communicate the value of our expertise? Has professional education failed to keep pace with the service demands of the marketplace? As demonstrated clearly in other areas, the market will invest handsomely in services that produce measurable value. Why is their an increasing reluctance to invest in architectural design?

Capitalization Ever-changing computer systems, specialized staff resources, sophisticated accounting systems, human resources requirements and marketing resources have significantly added to the cost of operating an architectural firm. The practice of architecture has become a very capital intensive activity. How do we better educate and equip our existing and future practitioners to protect the financial viability of their firms? Why are most architectural graduates totally ignorant of the financial dynamics of practice? Does our approach to education need to be amended to more directly address this issue? Does our "one size fits all" approach to education fail to recognize the diversity of expertise required of today’s practitioners?

Balkanization We are practicing within a professional environment that is more and more divided and stratified. The gap between our largest and smallest firms is widening. Practice specialties have become the norm and those with access to the greatest resources are leveraging those advantages to capture an increasing percentage of the total market. If our profession is increasingly less unified, shouldn’t we have a more diverse approach to education? At the very least, shouldn’t students have a better understanding of the options and challenges that exist within these different practice modalities? Shouldn’t education recognize and respond to the need for specialized as well as generalized architectural knowledge?

Complication Buildings are becoming vastly more complicated each year. The growing complexity of building technology, project delivery methodologies and client and consultant participation has substantially increased the demands on architectural practice. Services that never existed before are now being required as components of "basic services". Can education do anything to foster more efficient project delivery methodologies and more streamlined access to the knowledge we need to support our work?

Legislation The regulatory environment in which we practice is becoming more invasive and more restrictive. Some of this legislation serves a public purpose, some does not, but our ability to respond to these requirements increasingly impacts our project delivery capabilities. What can we do to better shape this legislation? At the very least, can education be more effective in conveying the importance of architects in creating public policy (and provide the skills needed to do that)?

Litigation Architects are being negatively impacted by the increasingly litigious environment in which we conduct business. What should we be doing to better prepare our graduates to practice in this shark infested environment? In recent years the prevailing approach has been to teach risk avoidance. Is that really effective or has that contributed to the diminishing role that architects play in the design and construction industry? Might it be more useful to benchmark other professions and businesses who put more emphasis on risk management?

Specialization Opportunities for general practitioners are being narrowed by the growing demand for specialized expertise and services. Fewer and fewer clients today are willing to risk their financial investment to architects who have a limited understanding of their business or operational needs. Are we adequately responding to the far reaching implications this trend has on education? Should we be more proactive in fostering post-professional programs and research to support our increasingly less generalized practitioners?

Mobilization Architectural services have become very transportable. Projects of virtually any size, in any location have become marketing targets for many of our largest national and international firms. Are we doing enough to properly educate those who may seek to practice in smaller communities? Are there new practice models that we need to explore that would allow us to retain local knowledge and offer high level expertise?

Continuing Education and Rigor Building complexity, specialized expertise, regulatory demands and the need for more sophisticated business acumen has generated increased pressures on the knowledge resources that architects must acquire and maintain. Are we properly educating our future practitioners for the realities of practice? Are we providing appropriate continuing education to allow our existing practitioners to stay ahead of the game? Are we fostering the type of in-depth research and access to knowledge resources needed to improve the rigor we bring to practice?

Globalization Off-shore document production is becoming commonplace. Lower labor costs and the ability to extend the workday make production resources in other countries (and other time zones) is a very appealing alternative for more and more firms. Are we correctly anticipating and responding to the profound implications this trend has for internship, employment opportunities and firm structure? IDP could be profoundly impacted by this trend. Are we failing to recognize the changing role of interns within future practice? Will this trend foster a new definition of what interns will be expected to do (and learn) during the post graduation / pre-licensure phase of their careers?

Devaluation Possibly the greatest impact on the built environment and, concurrently on our profession, is the reduced investment being made in buildings. Despite increased numbers of buildings being built, government statistics indicate that the total value of building construction (as a percentage of GNP) is declining. In short, we are constructing more buildings that are not only worth less individually, but in fact, worth less in total. Combined with the greater demand for building systems technology, the actual investment in architecture has significantly declined. What are we doing to guarantee the future quality of our built environment? If we as a society are unwilling to maintain our investment in the places where we live, work, worship, play, learn and heal, what are the implications for the quality of our children’s and grandchildren’s lives? What is the proper role of education in reversing this trend?

Many of the concerns outlined above actually offer new and exciting opportunities for our profession and our educational system. However, unless we work together as practitioners, as educators and regulators of professional education to understand and seize those opportunities, we will see a continuing decline in our ability to impact our communities. We must redefine ourselves and the roles we can play in response to the changing demands of those we serve and the environment in which we practice. We must aggressively deliver knowledge resources and skill sets to our future professionals that make us more responsive to our clients and better equip us to meet their needs. We must be willing to develop partnerships that allow us to enhance the value we offer. We need to proactively arm ourselves to defend and enhance our ability to make meaningful contributions to our communities. We must candidly and honestly assess where we are, what our capabilities are and determine how we can improve.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, nor is it in any prioritized order. Instead, it is offered as a starting point, a beginning step toward fostering the right sort of dialogue among the right types of people to move our profession and the educational system that supports it toward a meaningful and far reaching transformation. Your thoughts and comments are encouraged.

From Heights Venture Architects, LLP

Heights Venture Architects, LLP is please to announce the following promotions:
Michael Kravetz, has been elevated to Senior Associate 
Eduardo Tosky has been elevated to Associate.
Chief Development Officer,John Kim has been elevated to Associate

New Hires:
Rachel Treminio-Houston office receptionist
Eric Abeln-Intern Kansas State
Ronnie Desierto- Job Captain

From HOK

HOK Houston is pleased to announce that David Robinson, AIA, APA has joined the firm as Associate, Senior Project Architect. David chairs the Urban Design Committee for AIA Houston and serves on the municipal Art Commission since his appointment by Houston City Council and Mayor Bill White.

HOK Houston, in association with Laguarda.Low of Dallas, has been selected as the architect on the Houston Pavilions, a mixed-use development that will occupy 3 downtown city blocks between Main and Caroline Streets. The project will consist of over 350,000 square feet of multi-level retail and entertainment venues connected by pedestrian bridges spanning San Jacinto and Fannin. Houston Pavilions will feature a 200,000 square foot office building and a 140 unit condominium tower. The Pavilions concept looks “to bring powerful, unique tenants, exclusive to Houston” to serve the entire metropolitan area. With early, committed tenants like the House of Blues, this development is already well on its way to becoming a destination spot for the city.  

From Archimage, Inc.

Archimage, Inc., a Houston-based architectural design studio, is creating two video games for preventing obesity and type II diabetes in children. Nanoswarm: Invasion from Inner Space and Escape from Diab are sci-fi adventures in healthy eating and exercise. The project is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Archimage is collaborating with experts at the Children’s Nutritional Research Center of Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine on the games. 

For the complete press release: http://www.archimageonline.com/press-18.cfm.

From Bay Architects

 Bay Architects is pleased to announce that Blair Hamilton, AIA and Patrick Zadow, AIA have been named Principals of the firm. In addition, Mr. Gene Simmons and Mrs. Myrna Norman have been named Associates. Bay Architects is a full-service architectural firm located in Southeast Texas. Founded in 1995, Bay has successfully completed over 350 educational, religious, and commercial projects.

From PGAL

PGAL is pleased to announce the following staff promotions:

Shamim Ahmed, Ruben Martinez, Charlotte Simms and John Tsai to Associate; and Greg Kieschnick, Mike Lawrence, PE, Doug Parker, CPSM, and David Zhuang, PE to Senior Associate.

From Matrix Structural Engineers

Matrix Structural Engineers, Inc. (Matrix), a Houston-based structural engineering consulting firm is pleased to announce the promotion of Deanna Rodriguez to Marketing Associate.

Mrs. Rodriguez received her bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Houston and is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). Mrs. Rodriguez has been employed at Matrix Structural Engineers since 2003.  

 

 

NCARB Certification Upholds Public Welfare and the Profession

Over its previous fiscal year, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) increased Certificate holders by 2.3 percent, totaling 35,761. The NCARB Certificate demonstrates that architects meet the highest professional standards by registration boards responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of the public. And many jurisdictions require NCARB certification for non-resident architects. “Globalization” and “a talent shortage in architecture” are two trends reported in NCARB’s current strategic plan, indicating the value of national recognition for architecture expertise in coming years that can lead to more work opportunities. To facilitate widespread recognition, NCARB certification allows architects to apply for registration in any U.S. jurisdiction and Canadian province without re-documenting credentials. According to a NCARB 2005 Survey, architects today are registered in at least two different jurisdictions on average. The ability to practice in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously is more important than ever because it creates more opportunities and potentially increased earnings. What are the requirements? Certification candidates must:

• Earn a professional degree from an NAAB-accredited or CACB-accredited program, or complete the Broadly Experienced Architect (BEA) process.
• Satisfy the Intern Development Program (IDP) requirements.
• Pass the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
• Receive a license from one of NCARB's 55 member registration boards.

Architects need to be prepared for project opportunities in locations other than their licensed jurisdiction beforehand. Obtaining the NCARB Certificate involves an extended —but critical—qualification review process. Examining a candidate’s application can require several weeks to validate reported information. The document review phase requires approximately six to eight weeks, followed by a final review of an applicant’s qualifications. Ultimately, the length of time necessary to process requests for NCARB certification ensures reliability in the evaluation of the candidates’ qualifications. Candidates must meet the Council’s rigorous standards. Among the applicants, 85 percent of the architects receive the NCARB Certificate. Upon obtaining the Certificate, architects are broadly recognized as experts and leaders in the profession. Certification is a significant factor many firms consider in hiring practices and promotions. For architects seeking career advancement or starting a new job search, certification is an excellent way to enhance their marketability—now and in the future. For more information about certification, contact NCARB at 202-783-6500 or www.ncarb.org.

 

We are introducing a new free service for members seeking or selling office equipment, etc. Please email mandy@aiahouston.org if you have a classified ad.

2006 AIA National Convention and Expo

Andres F. Angel, Assoc. AIA Marisela Avellaneda, Assoc. AIA, Identity Architects Inc. John T. Clegg, AIA B. Shawn Cox, Assoc. AIA Alvaro D. Espinal, AIA Derrick A. Fernandez, Assoc. AIA, Morris Architects, Inc. Liliana Marcela Garcia, Assoc. AIA, Fehr Grossman Cox Architects, Inc. Fred H. Huddleston, AIA, David Watson, Architect & Associates Reynold Scott Magnuson, Assoc. AIA, Stern and Bucek Architects, PLLC Jeremy C. Phillips, Assoc. AIA Shannon N. Sellers, Assoc. AIA Donna L. Singer, Assoc. AIA Stephen Wilson Usrey, Assoc. AIA, WHR Architects, Inc. Howard C. L. Wan, AIA David L. Watson, AIA, David Watson, Architect & Associates

Diamond Affiliates

RIDGWAYS HAYNES WHALEY ASSOCIATES SATTERFIELD & PONTIKES TELLEPSEN

Affiliates

A & E -- The Graphics Complex Accessibility Guy Advanced Lab Concepts Aerotek Arch-Con Corporation Asakura Robinson Company Assurance Warranty AVAdek (Air Vent) Baker Concrete Construction Bos Lighting Brookstone L.P. Home Appliances Burditt Sustainable Resource Consultants Bury + Partners Busby & Associates CADVisions CalPly Circa Lighting Clark Condon Associates Concept Engineers Conti Jumper Gardner & Assoc Custon Audio Video Encompass Security Energy Steel Products Evergreen Design Group FMG Design, Inc. FS Design Group Fugro Consultants Henderson + Rogers Hirsch & Associates Holste & Associates, Inc.

I. A. Naman + Associates ie Smart Systems Jones & Carter Kudela & Weinheimer LCS Constructors LESCO Architectural Lighting Mason's Mill & Lumber Co. Matrix Structural Engineers Nehemiah Builders Pin Oak Interests PM Realty Group PolySpec L.P. Porter & Hedges Ricoh Business Systems Robert Shaw Rosenberger Construction Smith Seckman Reid SpawMaxwell Company Teal Construction Company Texas Sales & Marketing The Lentz Group The Mathis Group Tolunay-Wong Engineers Upchurch/Kimbrough Company USI Insurance Walter P. Moore Weatherization Partners Workman Commercial Construction Services Worell Desing Group

Click on the above icon for March's CE schedule.

Annual AIA Requirements are 18 LUs of which at least 8 are HSW
To register, contact Ana Paula via email at ana@aiahouston.org or call 713.520.0155
NO REFUNDS / CREDITS WILL BE GIVEN UNLESS CANCELLATION IS MADE 48 HOURS PRIOR TO CLASS

Unless otherwide noted, programs are based on two hours: Members $20.00, Interns $15.00, and Non-members $40.00