AIANYS 2008 Spring Symposium is May 1-Save the Date!

AIANYS will hold the 2008 Spring Symposium on Thursday, May 1 at The Holiday Inn, Wolf Road in Albany. Registration will be 8:30 to 10 AM, the program will run 10 AM to 4 PM. Be sure to check the AIANYS website www.aianys.org for updates.

Edward C. Farrell, Executive Director of AIANYS, wrote a letter to the editor in response to the editorials that the Times Union and Buffalo News wrote on the Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program. The letter to the editor appeared in the Times Union, February 4 and in Buffalo News, February 5. Below is the letter:

The American Institute of Architects New York State (AIANYS) agrees with the editorial stating the need for the legislature to pass the Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program. We support the program introduced last year by Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo and Sen. Frank Padavan, R-Queens.

This program expanded the eligibility standards for homeowners and raised the cap on qualified rehabilitation costs to $50,000, as well as lifting the existing cap on the commercial side. The Senate passed this program, but the Assembly did not.

We encourage the legislature to revive the program Hoyt and Padavan put together. This program offers the opportunity for more businesses and homeowners to rehabilitate commercial sites and residential properties in a wider variety of areas than what the current tax incentive program allows. The current eligibility requirements are so restrictive that few businesses and residents qualify.

Why have a program that is unworkable? Even by Albany standards, that makes no sense. The Rehabilitation Tax Credit will be a boost to upstate and should be enacted immediately.

2008 AIA Fellows Announced

AIA elevated 116 architects to its prestigious College of Fellows, an honor awarded to members who have made contributions of national significance to the profession.

Fellowship is conferred on architects with at least 10 years of membership in the AIA who have made significant contributions in the following areas: the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession; the standards of architectural education, training, and practice; the building industry through leadership in the AIA and other related professional organizations; advancement of living standards of people through an improved environment; and to society through significant public service. 

The following are the 2008 Fellows from New York (all members of AIA New York): Diana Agrest, Stephen Apking, Ian Bader, Deborah Berke, Louise Braverman, Hillary Brown, David Burney, Gerard Geier II, Nathan Hoyt, Sudhir Jambhekar, David Leventhal, Pamela Loeffelman, Paul Pippin, Robert Rogers, Richard Southwick, William Stein and Bernard Tschumi. Congratulations to all the new Fellows!

The AIA State Government Network (SGN) meeting took place February 19-20, 2008 during the Grassroots Legislative and Leadership Conference in Washington DC. 67 representatives from 47 state components attended this year's conference including Orlando Maione, President, AIANYS, Burton L. Roslyn, President-Elect, AIANYS, Russell Davidson, Immediate Past President, AIANYS, Michael Shilale, VP of Government Advocacy, AIANYS, Edward Farrell, Executive Director, AIANYS and Georgi Ann Bailey, Director of Programs, AIANYS.

Topics discussed at the meeting included integrated practice, the continuing concerns of unlicensed professionals practicing architecture, and updates to the Architect Registration Exam. AIA National also showcased some of the resources available to components to use for advocacy efforts. 

AIANYS also hosted a dinner for the representatives of the New York Chapters on February 20. AIANYS also met with the large states (NY, CA, FL, IL, PA, TX, NJ) to work on the resolutions for National Convention. The tri-states (NY, NJ, PA) also met and discussed possibly holding a regional meeting in 2008.

For more on AIA SGN, click here for an in-depth article by Michael Shilale, Vice President of Government Advocacy, AIANYS.

AIA New York Professional Practice Committee Unveils Tri-State Architectural Practice Matrix

AIA New York Professional Practice Committee recently put together the Tri-State Architectural Practice Matrix. This matrix includes practice information from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. This information is helpful for those members who currently practice in these states or those who are considering expansion. Go to http://www.aianys.org/enews/images/tristamatrix.pdf for the Tri-State Architectural Matrix.

If you have questions regarding the matrix, contact Daniel Garbowit, Co-Chairman of the AIA New York Professional Practice Committee, at dgarbowit@gabellinisheppard.com.

AIA Advocacy Week is scheduled for March 24-29, 2008 and will include an organized, in-district congressional visit program designed to connect AIA members with their congressional representatives during their district work periods. Advocacy Week is the opportunity for AIA members to communicate the importance of the AIA issues agenda and strengthen relationships between Members of Congress and the architectural profession on a local level.

Appointments in the district can allow a more detailed discussion on the issues and the value of architects in the community.  Often organizations that hold district visits provide an informative presentation on the issue, and then tour a facility or project site to show the benefits of AIA policies in the real world.

Information about Advocacy Week, including issue briefs, copies of the Congressional Issues Agenda, talking points, and other pertinent information can be found at www.aia.org/advocacyweek.

To find details about your Members of Congress, including information on whether a members has sponsored AIA-backed legislation, go to the AIA Advocacy Center at www.aia.org/advocacy_center.cfm. The advocacy center has a link to searches on all legislators to review all the members from your state. The following steps will assist you in scheduling your home-district Congressional visits during Advocacy Week.

Burton Roslyn, AIA Contributes Article on Project Delivery to SOLOSO

http://soloso.aia.org/eKnowledge/Resources/Documents/AIAP027180?dvid=429

NYSERDA Requesting Proposals for Energy Smart Focus Program

NYSERDA is requesting proposals from firms to assist them in achieving greater energy efficiency awareness and energy efficiency market penetration through customized comprehensive approaches to targeted sectors. These services are expected to assist customers to more easily understand and implement energy efficiency and peak-load reduction, sustainable design and operation, long-term energy planning and renewable energy projects.

Proposals can be submitted for one or more of the following three sectors: colleges and universities, healthcare and local governments. One contact per sector will be awarded. The contract will be for one year, with two, two-year optional contract extensions for a maximum of 5 years. Proposals are due by March 17, 2008. Additional information can be found on www.nyserda.org.

2008 AIANYS Allied Member

Ryan P. Lucey, Business Development, Mid-State Industries, Ltd., 1105 Catalyn Street, Schenectady, NY 12303, Phone: (518) 374-1461, Fax: (518) 381-6820, www.midstateindustriesltd.com, Email: Ryan @midstateltd.com.

Allied Membership allows corporations and individuals not otherwise eligible for AIANYS membership to participate in some services.  For more information and the Allied Membership Application, click here.