Summer is here. As soon as we reach the fourth of July, summer is soon to be over. Or so it seems. Life goes at a breakneck pace and change continues to accelerate. It seems like there is almost no time to think before making even the most life-changing decisions. In the buildings we design, time is always of the essence. How can we take the time needed to put the quality in?   The answer lies in the fact that every moment is an opportunity to make a positive difference.

 

 

As we continue to design the future, maintaining an awareness of the quality of our environment can constantly guide us in how we should best respond when the myriad critical questions and requests arise during the design and construction process, all requiring instant answers. Taking a moment to appreciate what is good in our surroundings, and to notice what we might want to change for the better, can make summer enjoyable right along side all the mad scrambles to get things done. Take advantage of it. Here's what's been happening through the AIA as we head through the summer.
 
During April, the National AIA Committee on Design (COD) came to Detroit and had a spectacular time looking at things that we in southeastern Michigan often take for granted. Visits to Belle Isle, Wayne State University, the Detroit Institute of Arts, College for Creative Studies, Cranbrook, The GM Technical Center, the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Affleck House and Grosse Pointe, all showed the intense parallel relationships between architecture, interior design and automotive/industrial design that underpin design in the Detroit area. Along with a big group of the famous and not so famous from out of town, lots of local architects took part in the conference. Alan Cobb from Albert Kahn Associates was the local conference chairman and did a wonderful job of giving our visitors from around the country a good taste of Metro Detroit.
 
In May, at the AIA National Convention in Boston, architects from around the country gathered to share a common experience and find out what was new. In my opinion, the 2008 convention was somewhat plain and ordinary, compared to the veritable "green-fest" of last year's convention in San Antonio. On the other hand, Boston is an amazing city, demonstrating through the completed "big dig" just what can be accomplished through a common vision and a will to make a city a better place. In spite of the phenomenal cost of the project that put the freeway interchanges underground and out of the way, Boston is better off. Now the cost is seen as an investment that will continue to pay dividends for centuries to come. Infrastructure projects aren't terribly popular while they are being planned and funded, but they sure make a difference down the road (no pun intended).
 
It's worth noting that, as the AIA National Convention continues to grow, it will be outgrowing the cities that make it a worthwhile trip. As many of us in Michigan are well aware, Detroit, along with St. Louis, failed to make the cut as potential future convention locations because we can't meet the criteria for such a large event. It's a shame. San Antonio and Boston, along with many other excellent cities, will no longer meet the criteria either. In fact, we were advised by some of the national staff that only Las Vegas and Anaheim will be able to fit the convention if the criteria aren't adjusted to allow for occasional qualitative departures from the behemoth convention model that national is following. There will surely be more discussion to come.
 
May was also the month for AIA Michigan's Honor Awards and Recognitions event, held at the Inn at St. Johns in Plymouth. The jury from Nebraska, led by Randy Brown FAIA, chose a nice selection of winners. If you haven't seen the winners up close, your copy of Place Magazine is coming soon and will have the complete spread. You can also see the list of honorees at the AIA Michigan Website.
 
Thank you to everyone that attended Architects and Engineers Legislative Day in Lansing on April 15th. Your AIA Michigan Government Affairs Committee continues to be hard at work for you. Your support always makes the committee's efforts stronger. We were able to schedule meetings with almost all the Representatives and Senators and the format allowed for maximum contact. Our legislators understand how much importance their constituents place on the built environment when our profession shows up to make the point. We also had the chance to distribute to each legislator the AIA Michigan summary of the "Blueprint for America" initiatives developed by the AIA chapters around the state. The PDF of the poster, which includes live links to each chapter's effort, is located at http://aiami.com/Events/AIAMI/AIA150/creating_livable_communities.htm

 
Enjoy the rest of your summer. Remember, the future isn't about us; rather, we're about the future!
 
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