Have you considered joining AIA lately?

The Southwestern Oregon Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-SWO) is offering a special invitation to any architect who is not currently a member of the Institute. If you sign up before the end of December 2008, you will receive your dinner for free and obtain a recorded Continuing Education Learning Unit (CEU) at every monthly AIA-SWO Chapter program you attend during the 2009 calendar year.(1)

The AIA offers many cost-effective ways to obtain learning units through a wide array of local, regional, and national events. As a member, you receive notices of meetings, conferences, and other events of interest to architects in our community. Our chapter meetings typically take place on the third Wednesday of each month, usually at the Actor's Cabaret in Eugene.(2) For regular members dinner is optional and served before the monthly program gets under way at 7:00. Our chapter meetings are a time to catch up with colleagues, make new friends, broaden your professional horizons, and earn a learning unit while you are at it.

AIA-SWO also organizes other events. Each year we sponsor the People’s Choice at the Eugene Celebration and a Register Guard insert on architecture. Last year, we celebrated 150 years of AIA. As part of the national celebration, our chapter was one of a few components recognized for our AIA150 project, which was our successful Blueprint for America/Franklin Corridor study in Eugene.

Our state component, AIA-Oregon, lobbies on behalf of architects at the state and national levels regarding issues and laws pertaining to the practice of architecture. Our dues directly support lobbying efforts in Salem and Washington D.C. AIA-Oregon’s current efforts include the development of legislation requiring new State buildings to be sustainable. This proposed legislation will likely be presented for consideration by the State legislature during 2009.

Other benefits of an AIA membership include:

• Professional networking
• Marketing opportunities
• Use of AIA documents, the standard of the construction industry
• Tax deduction for your membership dues
• Conferences and literature to keep you informed
• Socializing with colleagues that speak your language
• Learning what's abuzz in the market by what others are busy with
• Monthly eMail updates of news you can use
• Advancing and raising awareness about the profession locally
• Collaborative efforts toward civic and community leadership
• Promoting architecture at the local, state, regional, and national levels
• National recognition of those all-important letters after your name - ‘AIA’ indicating your membership and commitment to your profession

Please feel free to contact any AIA-SWO Board member regarding any questions. More information can be found on the AIA-National web site at http://www.aia.org/. You can find our AIA-Chapter at http://www.aiaswo.org/.

(1) Dinner is not free for the annual joint meeting with the Willamette Valley Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, which occurs each January. Learning units are not offered for the annual AIA-SWO picnic (July) or holiday meeting (December).

(2) Unfortunately, The Actors Cabaret isn’t a particularly good location for our annual picnic. Armitage Park has served this purpose better for us.

Yes We Can!

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
– Barack Obama

The election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States goes far beyond a simple rebuff of the outgoing Bush administration. While his victory may in large part be attributed to the recent dramatic downturn of the economy, coupled with the country’s fatigue with the costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the result also heralds a profound change in Americans' perception of themselves. Obama is a transcendental figure. Many see in him a personification of the American dream. For the younger generation, he is an ultimate role model, affirming their potential. For immigrants, his election vindicates their belief in the United States as a land of opportunity. Internationally, Obama has signaled a new willingness to converse with the world instead of imposing America’s will upon it. He is inspirational, transformative, and appears to possess the leadership skills and temperament that will be necessary to help the country confront its greatest challenges.

Architects have already led the charge to confront some of these challenges. The profession has been in the forefront when it comes to promoting the concept of sustainability and what is necessary to achieve it. With a sympathetic administration in the White House, our profession must be ready to assume an even greater leadership role in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. If you have not already adopted sustainability as a fundamental precept of your work, do so now. Architects cannot wait to act. This is our time. We are the change that we seek. Like Obama(1), we must exhibit the leadership necessary to advance the changes that will be necessary to secure the future for generations to come. We must capitalize on the promise of hope that Obama’s election has delivered.

The leadership of architects will be crucial to the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ed Mazria, AIA, and his Architecture 2030 organization point out that buildings are responsible for almost half (48%) of all greenhouse gas emissions annually. According to Mazria, immediate action in the building sector is necessary if we are to avoid truly catastrophic climate change. Global heating caused by greenhouse gas emissions will undoubtedly be looked at in retrospect as the single most important issue of the 21st century. If we do not successfully deal with the manmade causes of climate change, all other issues – the economy, wars, health care, education, ecosystem health – will be even more challenging or nearly moot.

Obama’s proposed emissions reduction strategy will need to be strengthened if it is to be aggressive enough to minimize the effects of global heating. In addition, his new administration will need to develop strategies for adapting to climate change because it will happen regardless of future reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (we’re almost certainly past a “tipping point” already).(2) These plans would address water shortages, agricultural challenges, energy conservation, and security. Mitigation alone will not be enough; we must prepare for the changes to come.

Time will tell if the Obama administration’s actions match the soaring rhetoric of the candidate’s election campaign. Time will also reveal whether architects rise to the sustainability challenge and make the most of the leadership mantle the new president will share with the profession.


(1) The new Obama administration will likely pump billions into the economy for energy-efficient and climate-friendly infrastructure, such as solar and wind technologies and mass transit. During the campaign, the Obama team wrote a position paper on urban policy, which included setting goals for the development of more livable and sustainable communities, the reevaluation of transportation funding with an eye toward smart growth, and the use of innovative measures to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

(2) Among local voices, Alder Fuller, founder and dean of Euglena Academy, has most clearly articulated the threat of global heating and climate change. Based upon the writings of James Locklock and like-minded system scientists, Fuller examines the probability that we have already passed a critical threshold that is rapidly transforming our climate.

Good Design Makes a Difference

I submitted the following to the Corvallis Gazette-Times as a possible op-ed piece. The intent was to have it published to coincide with the display of the 2008 People's Choice Award winners at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library during the month of November. Unfortunately, the Opinion Editor chose not to send it to print.

GUEST VIEWPOINT
Good Design Makes a Difference
BY RANDY NISHIMURA, AIA

Much of our world view is framed and shaped by the built environment that we inhabit. If the man-made spaces in which we live, work, and play are well-designed, we are more comfortable, more able to live life to the fullest, and better able to appreciate and understand the world around us. Society flourishes when its public spaces and buildings help people form connections with one another. Architecture that is widely admired is also regarded as artful. It blends harmoniously with the natural environment while promoting health and well-being; enriches lives aesthetically and spiritually; is functional, durable, and beautiful; and creates a lasting legacy that reflects and symbolizes culture and traditions.

Great architecture does not happen by accident. It is the result of a creative and collaborative process that engages everyone with an interest in the success of a project. It is also the product of professionals who have the specialized knowledge and skills acquired through a long and intensive education, internship, and examination process. Projects that are well-designed should be important to Corvallis because it is uniquely blessed with a marvelous natural setting, a well-scaled and historic downtown, a beautiful university campus, and a distinct sense of place, all worthy of preservation. Good design is necessary for Corvallis if it is to retain the qualities that have made it attractive to its residents, businesses, and visitors. It is essential if Corvallis is to avoid repeating the poor planning decisions other cities (including my own – Eugene) have made in the past. The prevalence of well-designed public spaces and buildings is the hallmark of a beloved and thriving community. Good design reflects the shared values of citizens and is a representation of their highest aspirations. Good design signals a dedication to creating healthy, sustainable, and livable communities. Good design makes a difference.

Architects today are privileged to follow in the footsteps of outstanding designers who made a difference by creating buildings and public spaces that left a positive and lasting mark upon their communities. We have been trained to see the big picture when it comes to designing buildings. We help clients explore what appeals to them aesthetically and what they require functionally. We coordinate teams of design, engineering, and construction professionals; we sort through the maze of building codes and zoning requirements; we ensure the client’s project is built the way it was intended. Architects strive to create total environments, interior and exterior, that are pleasing and functional for the people who live, work, and do business within them. We add value to projects by monitoring the budget, by ensuring that the proposed design minimizes energy and maintenance costs, and by exploring new thinking on critical issues. This leads to better designs and the best possible realization of a client’s vision.

Good design occurs most readily if everyone with an interest in a project comes together with like-minded stakeholders to create a common vision, which is the first step in the process of developing a building or master plan. The process of creating a vision has benefits that extend beyond just the realization of an attractive school or an interesting commercial building; the process itself creates a community. The quid pro quo is that the community must be willing to invest in the process – the money, time, and commitment – which is necessary to realize the kind of built environment everyone hopes to live and work in. Buildings cost a lot of money and typically stand for many years. The bottom line is that cities like Corvallis cannot afford to scrimp when it comes to good design, because the expense of poor design is exponentially more costly. Everyone wins when the benefits of excellent environmental design are commonly understood and appreciated.

Presently on display in the public meeting room at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library are numerous examples of design excellence produced by members of the American Institute of Architects-Southwestern Oregon Chapter (AIA-SWO), which includes architectural professionals practicing in Linn, Benton Deschutes, Douglas, and Lane counties, and members of the Willamette Valley Section of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The projects are the winners of the 2008 AIA-SWO “People’s Choice Awards.” Member firms of AIA-SWO and ASLA prepared boards showcasing their recent projects for consideration by the public during this past September’s Eugene Celebration. Anyone who visited the exhibit was free to fill in a ballot, voting for his or her favorite designs in each of six categories: commercial buildings, single-family residences, multi-family housing, public and institutional architecture, residential landscape design, and commercial landscape projects. These projects are excellent examples of designs that met the needs of clients by creatively organizing spaces, building systems, and materials to achieve an end that is cost-effective, practical, and attractive. Each award winner is displayed on a presentation board that explains the architects’ approach to the design problem and how the resultant project makes a difference in people’s lives.

Please stop by the 2008 People’s Choice Awards display the next time you visit the Corvallis-Benton County Library. The winning designs will remain on exhibit through November 30, 2008.

Randy Nishimura, AIA, is president-elect of the American Institute of Architects – Southwestern Oregon chapter, headquartered in Eugene. He blogs about architecture at http://sworegonarchitect.blogspot.com.

November Notes

Assorted items of note on the AIA-SWO calendar for the month of November:

AIA-SWO on Display in Corvallis
As part of our initiative to enhance the value of AIA membership to architects based in the Corvallis-Albany area, our chapter has arranged with the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library to exhibit the winners of this year’s People’s Choice Awards program, highlighting some of the excellent design work produced by AIA-SWO members. The winning designs in each of six categories – commercial buildings, single-family residences, multi-family housing, public & institutional architecture, residential landscape design, and commercial landscape projects – will be on display in the Library’s public meeting room through November 30, 2008. Each of the award winners is represented by a presentation board that explains the designers’ approach to the design problem and how the resultant project now makes a difference in the lives of those it impacts. Also on display are the “Colleagues’ Choice” winners, the projects selected by your AIA-SWO peers as the best or most interesting from this year’s People’s Choice entrants.

Many thanks to Dick Bryant, AIA for all his help in setting up the exhibit at the Library.

AIA-SWO Chapter Meeting Program: A&AA Faculty Research
The University of Oregon is an extraordinary asset and a powerful resource for those of us in the design profession. Remarkable research work is being conducted by the outstanding faculty of the School of Architecture & Allied Arts. The November program will include presentations about some of these research efforts from several of the faculty members themselves, highlighting advances in architectural theory, technology and solutions to global challenges for the built environment.

November’s AIA-SWO meeting will occur on the third Wednesday of the month, November 19, 2008, with the social hour beginning at 5:30 PM. The Actors Cabaret at 996 Willamette Street in Eugene is once again the venue.

Our November AIA-SWO Program Sponsor
The November 2008 chapter meeting will be the second of our sponsored meetings, featuring IMAGINiT Technologies. IMAGINiT is a RAND Worldwide Company, the globally diversified engineering group and the world’s largest independent provider of enterprise solutions to the engineering industry. IMAGINiT was formed from a number of smaller companies that represented the best in the industry. As a leading provider of design and engineering solutions to the building, architecture, manufacturing, civil engineering, geospatial, and media and entertainment industries, IMAGINiT is a CAD software and technology expert that understands the design process. Look for more information about IMAGINiT on this blog and on the AIA-SWO web site when the November chapter meeting is announced.

BIM-musing

Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse (photo by Tim Griffith)

As an AIA component president-elect, I am sent a bi-weekly national media coverage report from AIA National. The latest report included an account of the AIA Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Knowledge Community 2008 BIM Awards. I took note of this report because Eugene’s own Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse, designed by Thom Mayne and his firm Morphosis, won the award for Creating Stellar Architecture Using Building Information Modeling (BIM). The jury commented that “the courthouse moved into an aspect of fabrication that you couldn’t do without BIM.” The project team utilized BIM tools that enabled precise coordination of structure and building systems within the tight and geometrically complex architectural envelope of the courthouse.

BIM has been defined as the process of generating and managing building data during its life cycle.(1) BIM typically uses three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic building modeling software to increase productivity in building design and construction. BIM has been around for many years already, but its acceptance in the design and construction industry now appears to be accelerating. Proponents claim that BIM offers:

• Improved visualization
• Improved productivity due to easy retrieval of information
• Increased coordination of construction documents
• Embedding and linking of vital information such as vendors for specific materials, location of details and quantities required for estimation and bidding
• Increased speed of delivery
• Reduced costs

I’m no expert on the subject; however, my firm, Robertson/Sherwood/Architects, experimented with an early version of Revit back in 2001 before concluding that its practical application to our projects was still years away. It’s now 2008 and it’s clear that BIM is quickly supplanting the use of orthodox two-dimensional CAD as the standard for building design and documentation. The move toward BIM is being hastened by institutional clients such as the General Services Administration. The GSA established the National 3D-4D-BIM Program in 2003, requiring that all major projects receiving funding starting in 2007 use these programs. Firms that work with the GSA have thus been motivated to acquire BIM software. However, it’s not only the impetus from large institutional and corporate clients that is now favoring the widespread adoption of BIM; the inherent advantages of the approach to design development, documentation, coordination, and fabrication are beginning to outweigh the natural resistance to a changing of the status quo. Autodesk’s purchase of Revit in 2002 was one bellwether indicator that BIM is the new paradigm; another is the willingness of students in schools of architecture, engineering, and construction to explore the potential of BIM technology.

For its part, the AIA has developed a new standard document – E202-2008 – as a tool to manage the use of BIM across an entire project. The document sets the requirements and authorized uses for BIM content and identifies BIM authors at five progressive levels of development. It also establishes protocols for model ownership, conflict resolution, storage, viewing, and archiving.

Robertson/Sherwood/Architects, like many small firms, sees the biggest potential benefit of BIM as enhancing project quality and the design process. The benefits of producing projects of higher quality through more accurate documents (resulting in fewer change orders during construction) and the sharing of digital models for ease of collaboration are very attractive to us. We will be moving towards the use of BIM as soon as we can.

Early AIA-SWO adopters of BIM include PIVOT Architecture, and Dustrud Architecture (I think Berry Architects are also users of BIM). AIA-SWO secretary Paul Dustrud is one of the organizers of the new Eugene Revit Users Group (ERUG). This user group will provide ongoing opportunities to inform and educate about Revit (Architecture, MEP and Structure) BIM in particular. The first informational meeting of ERUG will take place at 5:00 – 6:00 PM on November 13, 2008, in the PIVOT Architecture conference room at 72 West Broadway in downtown Eugene. The goal of the meeting will be to bring together likeminded Revit users and potential users, to network and discuss what topics are of most interest for upcoming meetings, and to determine how best to make this user group of the strongest benefit to its members. For more information, e-mail davidthigpen@yahoo.com.


(1) The A/E firm Burt Hill, along with Cisco Systems, is pioneering the extension of BIM to focus on monitoring and managing building systems throughout a facility’s life cycle. They envision the “Building Information Network” (BIN) as an entirely new utility that would make the vision of “smart buildings” a reality. Rather than building systems operating independently on multiple, parallel networks, they would converge into a single BIN network, the framework of which would have its origin in the earliest design stages in the BIM model.