Pennsylvania Architect Named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania
 

Below is the press release from the Governor's office.  AIA Pennsylvania submitted the successful nomination of Mary Werner DeNadai, FAIA of AIA Phildelphia chapter.

--------

Governor Tom Corbett and First Lady Susan Corbett are recognizing nine outstanding women from across the commonwealth as this year's Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania.

 The women were honored today at a luncheon at the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg where they were presented with medals and citations for their achievements.

 "As a lifelong Pennsylvanian, I'm proud to see these women representing the commonwealth with such honor," said Susan Corbett. "These women are an inspiration for all the men and women of Pennsylvania."

 This year's Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania are; Penny Balkin Bach of Philadelphia, Lorene Cary of Philadelphia, Mary Werner DeNadai of West Chester, Annie Dillard of Hillsboro, NC, Anna T. Meadows, M.D., Philadelphia, Nancy Minshew, M.D. of Pittsburgh, Molly Rush of Pittsburgh, Susan Fort Sordoni, M.D. of Harvey Lake, and Shelly D. Yanoff of Mt. Airy.

 "The women honored today show great commitment and dedication to improving the world around them," said Gov. Tom Corbett. "The leadership shown by each of them is impressive and they represent Pennsylvania with great honor."

 Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania began in 1948 as a way to honor women who have shown distinguished service through a professional career and/or voluntary service. The women are nominated to receive the honor by non-profit organizations within Pennsylvania.   They don't need to be a native of Pennsylvania, but must have lived in the commonwealth.
 

Green Buildings - Update 
 
Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) and Sen. John Rafferty (R-Montgomery) have both reintroduced legislation aimed at promoting the construction of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings in the Commonwealth.

 House Bill 193, sponsored by Harper, requires the design, construction and renovation of state-owned or leased buildings receiving state funding be built using high-performance standards.

 Specifically, the bill would require the application of high-performance construction standards to be applied where:

• A state-owned new building construction project is larger than 10,000 gross square feet.
• A new construction project is larger than 10,000 square feet and a Commonwealth agency has agreed to lease no less than 90 percent of the gross square feet.

The bill requires a minimum set of criteria for the high-performance buildings standards to be used to ensure compliance. These would include being consensus-based, employ third-party post construction review and verification, and have a track record of certified green buildings in the United States. Additionally, projects would have to achieve a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Program rating of 85 or above.

 Senate Bill 1136, sponsored by Rafferty, requires the design, construction and renovation of certain state buildings to comply with specified energy and environmental building standards. The bill outlines minimum criteria for high-performance building standards. The Department of General Services, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, shall develop and issue regulations for compliance.

 AIA Pennsylvania has sent out letters of support for both HB 193 and SB 1136 and we continue to work with our coalition partners promoting green buildings.
 

Historic Preservation - Update 
 
The historic preservation tax credit bill moved forward last week when the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster), approved legislation that would provide tax credits for the rehabilitation of historic commercial buildings. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Senate Bill 1150, the Historic Rehabilitation Investment Incentive Act, is sponsored by Sen. Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster). State incentives for the restoration of historic buildings will assist the revitalization of older communities.

AIA Pennsylvania has been a champion for historic rehabilitation tax credits over the years; this year is not exception.  

Interior Designers - Update 
  

AIA Pennsylvania continues to be opposed to Title and Practice Act legislation for interior designers. An issue brief on this topic can be found on our website.

 To date, legislation has not been filed in the either the House or Senate. But in anticipation of that, on October 17, 2011, the Interior Designers Legislative Coalition held a rally and legislative day at the Capitol in Harrisburg. Visits were made to a number of legislators on both sides of the aisle.

 AIA Pennsylvania has increased its efforts and has reached out to its coalition partners including the National Kitchen and Bath Association; Liberty for Design; the Interior Design Protection Council as well as AIA National. It is important to note that the interior design profession is split on this issue. Many interior designers in the Commonwealth strongly oppose Title and Practice Act legislation.

 Bob Keaton, Government Affairs Manager for AIA Pennsylvania, served on an SGN Interior Designer working group that developed a tool kit for AIA Chapters throughout the country.

 This remains a top priority for AIA Pennsylvania.
 

OMG 
 by: A. Stevens Krug, AIA

 I was surprised to hear from a doctor friend that knew interior designers were pursuing licensure in Pennsylvania. We were at a political function and the doctor related her general concern about the erosion of professions by numerous related fields, driving costs up and unnecessarily complicating the regulatory process. Since it has been repeatedly shown consumers are not endangered, many states have determined that there is no rational basis for regulating interior design. We talked about the motivation of the interior designers for recognition, which is already available through certification (NCIDQ) by such organizations as ASID.

 Particularly in a period of time when State government budgets are highly challenged, adding unnecessary licensure to the budget is concerning. For instance, there is no documentation that the public is being harmed by the lack of interior design regulations. In general, interior designers have not been targeted by consumers, and have not been trained in technical building systems and building codes that affect the health, safety and welfare of the building's occupants. From the business side, it is recognized that licensure of interior designers will also inhibit competition and job opportunity.

 AIA Pennsylvania has successfully protected the Architects Licensure law in the past.  More importantly, architects need to understand the urgency to support and defend the AIA position that regulation of interior design is unnecessary. It was a surprise, but nice to know, that other professionals, like doctors, are concerned about the unnecessary licensure of interior designers.
 

Update Your Information

Please help us help you by keeping your contact information current.  You can update your information online via AIA National's website.  If you prefer, you can also email your information changes to Lindsey Stitt, Chapter Relations Assistant, at lstitt@aiapa.org.  Thank you!