AIA New York State has recognized outstanding works of architecture through the annual Design Awards Program since 1968. These awards honor works of architecture located anywhere in the world by AIA New York State members and works of architecture located only in New York State by other New York State registered architects completed since January 1, 2007. AIANYS is currently calling for entries for the 2013 Design Awards. A Call for Entries brochure which includes the submission guidelines, registration form, checklist and photo release form was mailed out in mid-April. It is also available online at http://www.aianys.org/awards/design_guidelines.shtml.

Once again you will be able to upload your portfolio digitally and the chapter program will continue!

     The registration form and fee is due to AIANYS by May 6, 2013 (must be registered online by this date). Portfolios, checklists and photo releases are due by May 13, 2013. The Design Award Jury will meet in June to decide the winners and the recipients will be notified soon after.

     The projects are listed by the following categories: Adaptive Reuse/Historic Preservation; Commercial/Industrial, Large Projects and Small Projects; Institutional; Interiors; International; Pro Bono Projects; Residential, Single Large Projects; Single Small Projects and Multi-Family; Sole Practitioner; Unbuilt, General; Unbuilt, Under 10 Years and Urban Planning/Design.

     Chapters are asked to submit two local winners to AIANYS for consideration by the jury. The Chapter may choose from their 2012 or 2013 programs. While there will be no charge for the submittals, they will be required to follow the same guidelines as any other entry.

     All AIANYS Design Award recipients will prepare a design board for display during the AIANYS Convention. All of the AIANYS Design Awards will be presented at the Design Awards Dinner on September 26, 2013 at the Sheraton Hotel in Syracuse. For questions, contact Georgi Ann Bailey, CAE, Executive Director at gabailey@aianys.org.       

AIANYS is Calling for Presentations for the 2013 Convention-Deadline is May 3

     AIANYS is currently calling for presentations for the 2013 Convention which will be held September 25-27 in Syracuse at the ONCENTER. The deadline for accepting proposals for program presentations is May 3, 2013. Submissions will only be accepted electronically using the 2013 submission template.

     Convention presenters are recognized for their expertise among their peers. Presenters and their firms are listed in the convention invitation and on-site information pieces, as well as the digital registration form.

     The Call for Presentations information including submission process, timelines and guidelines are here: http://www.aianys.org/convention-2013/education-seminars.htm.

     If you have questions, please email Georgi Ann Bailey, CAE, Executive Director at gabailey@aianys.org.

Dennis A. Andrejko, FAIA, Candidate for AIA 2014 First Vice President/2015 President-Elect

     Dennis A. Andrejko, FAIA, member of AIA Buffalo/Western NY and former AIANYS board member, has declared his candidacy for the office of AIA 2014 First Vice President/2015 President-Elect. Elections will be held at the AIA 2013 National Convention and Expo in Denver June 20-22.

     Here is a synopsis of Dennis' platform:

Three thematic areas as instrumental in mapping a course to build on AIA's cornerstone of leadership.

     MEMBERSHIP -Who We Are

Through a Members Matter Movement - working to improve the value in this value-able organization.

     COMMUNITY-Why We Care

Components and communities are the backbone of the Institute. Components advocate for the profession. The spirit of community reinforces our service to society.

     KNOWLEDGE-How We Move Forward  

Mining knowledge and defining our research agenda are continued necessities, and through our Knowledge Communities, we have a foundation for prosperity. Knowledge is our currency for the 21st century depositing indispensable capital into the AIA. 

     Other items of significance aligned with this include:

     SUSTAINABILITY

While progress is being made, there is still much ground to gain, meeting benchmarks with the 2030 Challenge and Commitment programs, establishing metrics, and progressing toward an evidence-based design vocabulary, grounded in the value of design. Health and well-being, resiliency and adaptability, and safety with vibrancy and delight are paramount.

     REPOSITIONING

An essential discussion and major initiative around where we have been, where we are, and where we need to be moving - into a robust, nimble and sustainable organization - the voice of the profession. As we Reposition, consider how to re-invest in our members, when to re-connect to our communities, and what to re-commit to our knowledge agenda.

     AIANYS has received a 2013 AIA Component Matching Grant for the Student Awards Program.

     The AIA National Component supports local and state Components or their affiliated foundations in their efforts to provide and develop scholarship programs. Offering matching grants to augment existing Component programs reinforces the significance of the AIA in the lives of architects, aspiring students, and their communities, and stimulates interest in the formation of new scholarship programs.

     The AIANYS Student Award Program was created in 2007 to serve as a way of engaging and recognizing students enrolled in the NAAB-accredited schools in New York State. This program allows students to share ideas on design concepts which improve upon natural and built environments, while positioning them to assist in advancing both the profession and community at large. This is the 4th year in a row that AIANYS has received this grant.

     AIANYS received funds from AIA National to be used to assist those Chapters affected by Superstorm Sandy. These funds would normally have been added to National reserves and represent the commitment that AIA has to its members, components and their communities.

     The AIANYS Board empowered the Executive Committee to assess the outreach effort of those Chapters who have expended funds in assisting the community and members in the Sandy recovery process and distribute the monies received.

In order to assist the committee in the assessment process, Chapters were asked to submit the following: Description of any Chapter expenses incurred as a direct result of Superstorm Sandy; description of any chapter expenses incurred as part of an outreach activity during the aftermath of Sandy; dollar amount expended and results of outreach.

     The Executive Committee went through the Chapter proposals during their meeting and awarded funding to the following chapters: AIA Brooklyn, AIA Long Island, AIA New York, AIA Queens and AIA Staten Island. These funds will reimburse chapters for expenses, as well as help fund projects that are in the planning stages.          

2013 Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship-Deadline is May 20th

     The AIA Center for Emerging Professionals is now accepting applications for the 2013 Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes the significant contributions of interns at early stages in their careers and encourages them to complete the licensure process by defraying costs associated with the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). The deadline is May 20, 2013.
     To be eligible, applicants must be current ARE candidates and be a current Associate AIA member or an IDP (NCARB) Record holder. For eligibility information and applicant criteria visit www.aia.org/Pettigrew.

     The National Associates Committee established this scholarship in honor of their late friend and colleague Jason Pettigrew, who was committed to professional development and community service.

     Registration is still open for the 2013 AIA National Convention & Design Exposition June 20-22 in Denver, CO. The theme for this year is Building Leaders.

There are over 200 planned program offerings, including pre-convention workshops, theme presentations, continuing education learning units (CEUs) and expo education. The diversity of offerings, allows you to enhance your knowledge of design, practice management, and career development. 
      The Design Exposition is scheduled for all 3 days. AIA Expo2013 introduces you to more than 800 exhibitors to discover new products and services. AIA Expo2013 will also house special display areas, educational opportunities, pavilions and association offerings.

     For more information, go to:

https://registration3.experientevent.com/showAIA131/Default.aspx.      

     As a joint effort, Grassi & Co. and Zetlin & De Chiara LLP conducted a survey of architecture and engineering executives to collect information regarding current market dynamics and trends and to then provide the results as a market intelligence tool and resource to those in the industry.

     The survey results were released at The A&E Market Outlook Briefing: Planning for 2013 and Beyond on April 2 at the Center for Architecture, an event co-hosted by Grassi & Co. and Zetlin & De Chiara LLP, where a panel of industry executives shared perspectives on the current and future state of the A&E market. They discussed various topics addressed in the survey including, financial considerations such as containing costs and improving collections, diversification of service offerings, M&A activity and expansion of geographical reach, implementation of technologies such as BIM, human resources issues and  ownership transition.

     The panel was moderated by Jay Simson, President of ACEC New York, and included: Peter Catalano, CFO, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC; Eric Goshow, AIA, Owner, Goshow Architects LLP, President, AIANYS; David Thornhill, CFO, AKF Engineers and Joe Tortorella, President, Robert Silman Associates. For the survey results, go to: http://www.grassicpas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Grassi-Survey-AE-Results-Final-PDF.pdf.

     Daniel Libeskind, AIA, will speak at The Cooper Union, his alma mater, on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 6 PM. Tickets are free and seating is unreserved. The master planner for Ground Zero and the architect of one of Europe's most visited museums, the Jewish Museum Berlin, will discuss the role that memory played in his work on those projects and others, such as the Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark; the Imperial War Museum in Manchester, England; the Military History Museum in Dresden, Germany; and the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. He will also talk about the acute sense of responsibility he feels, when accepting commissions for projects addressing Jewish history, to create work that honors not only the harsh realities, but also the resilience of the Jewish spirit.

     Libeskind established his studio in Berlin in 1989, moving its headquarters to New York City after winning the competition to design the Ground Zero master plan in 2003. Over the last decade he has designed major commercial, cultural, educational and residential structures around the world and been honored with many awards, including Germany's Deutsche Architekturpreis (1999), the prestigious Hiroshima Art Prize (2001) and the Buber-Rosenzweig Medal (2010).

     Watts Architecture & Engineering in Buffalo received two ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards in NYC for the Porter Avenue Reconstruction and the NYSTA Wetland Mitigation at Evangola State Park. Watts has won 11 awards for engineering excellence in the past 8 years. For more information, go to: http://www.watts-ae.com/.

     Stephanie Quirini has been the AIA New York State Director of Communications since April 2007. Stephanie graduated with honors from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Journalism and has over 16 years of experience in communications, journalism and public relations. She previously was the Director of Communications for Girl Scouts, Hudson Valley Council in Albany for 5 years. She also worked at the public relations firm Howard Schaffer Media Marketing where her national accounts included Cabot Creamery and Jacoby & Meyers, as well as in the communications office of St. Peter's Hospital in Albany.

     In her current position at AIANYS, Stephanie is the writer and editor of the monthly e-news, writer and editor of the quarterly digital newsletter, Architecture NYS, editor and advertising coordinator for the annual Design Awards Book, editor for the Schools of Architecture Book, and staff liaison to the Student Awards Committee, Emerging Professionals Committee and the Public Advocacy Committee.

     She worked with the Public Advocacy Committee to create the media postcard which received the 2012 Grassroots Component Excellence Award from AIA National, as well as coordinated a radio ad campaign and compiled the Architecture + Education Book. She is also heavily involved with the annual convention coordinating the Honor Awards and Design Awards Powerpoint presentations and printed materials, the marketing materials and speechwriting.

     Stephanie is a native of Somers, Connecticut. She is an avid reader, traveler, Tweeter, yoga enthusiast and lifelong Red Sox and Patriots fan! She resides in Guilderland, NY with her husband, Paul.            

     AIANYS has an online calendar on the website that all chapters can now submit events to. It's easy and only takes a few minutes. Go to: http://aianys.org/members/index.php?m=1&p=1.

     You can also see what other Chapters are up to all around New York State.

     By donating to the NYS Architects Political Action Committee (NYSAPAC), you have helped to fund the opportunity for AIANYS to support the following events in April: Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz, Assemblymember Herman "Denny" Farrell and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.