Columns E-News - 2022 2QTR

2022 | Second Quarter Edition

AIA ARKANSAS E-News

AIA Arkansas is pleased to host its annual convention in person at the Embassy Suites NW Hotel, Spa & Convention Center in Rogers, October 26-28, 2022.

Information regarding agenda/registration coming soon

Click here to view Convention Exhibitor-Sponsorship Opportunities

MEMBER/COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHT

Lori Santa-Rita Represents Arkansas

On AIA National Strategic Council

Highlight on Arkansas representation at the AIA National Strategic Council in May.

CALL TO ACTION

Who We Are & What We Do: Forward-thinking and member-centric volunteers from AIA Components (such as AIA Arkansas) who discuss trends and concerns in their regional communities, which then informs recommendations on actions to AIA leadership.
Where Do We Need Help: Bring up issues that are affecting the profession and volunteer to be a councilor.
Committee/Organizational Contact: Lori Yazwinski Santa-Rita, lori@jenningssantarita.com.

The American Institute of Architects works to recognize and resolve issues that affect the architecture profession. The AIA Strategic Council serves as a representative voice of the component membership in the national AIA conversation.

Nate Deason spoke to Lori Santa-Rita about her representation of Arkansas at the national level through the Strategic Council.

How is the AIA Arkansas component represented at the national level?

The AIA National Strategic Council is an advising body to the AIA National Board of Directors. For the past six years, AIA Arkansas has been represented, along with all the Gulf States (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee) with two representatives on the National Strategic Council. These positions rotated from state to state, with an Arkansas AIA member serving in the role every eight years for a two-year term. As of the end of 2021, all the regions were dissolved, and each state allowed one or more representatives on the council depending on membership size. For the foreseeable future, Arkansas will have consistent representation at the national level.

What is the purpose of the AIA Strategic Council?

The council’s role is to make recommendations to the board and other institute bodies on important professional issues and opportunities. Councilors are a direct link between the AIA governing bodies and the local components. We meet regularly to consider and discuss various topics that affect our members. These may include technology, climate action, mental health, diversity and inclusion, and challenges in the workplace to name a few. These discussions are informed by research and crossover between other knowledge communities that work to serve the institute. Our focus is long-term goals with an emphasis on an outward and forward-focused vision.

How does the Strategic Council recognize, discuss and propose solutions to the issues as well as opportunities that affect the architectural profession and the AIA organization as a whole?

As a direct link between local components and the National Board, each councilor will communicate with various members including the component presidents to identify specific topics that need to be addressed within the profession. At the beginning of each year, these topics are shared among all members of the council. Through this exercise, we are able to determine the particular issues that appear to have the greatest effect on our membership. These are called “areas of study.” Each councilor then chooses which area of study they wish to focus on. They will participate in multiple discussions, workshops, and research, pertaining to their particular topic. There are a lot of crossovers between knowledge-based communities and previous discussions to assure that there is no redundancy and that the research is thorough. Experts on the topics are consulted, resulting in a comprehensive report that is then presented to the board, including suggestions to guide the institute’s policies.

What is the AIA Strategic Plan and is that informed by the Strategic Council, and in turn, the state representation?

The AIA Strategic Plan is a guiding document that states the institute’s vision, mission and core values, similar to the component’s strategic plan. It informs our membership about our goals as a profession and steers the various committees and institute bodies to align their focus with these goals. The national strategic plan is developed by its own committee and is revisited every three to five years. The Strategic Council uses the strategic plan as a benchmark for all of its discussions and areas of focus but does not help develop it. The Strategic Plan Committee will survey our membership across the globe to create the document. All members have a voice in the Strategic Plan.

What are some of the shareable big-ticket items that have been discussed and resolved by the AIA Strategic Council?

The Strategic Council’s purpose is not to “resolve” issues, but rather to make recommendations to the board that will either inform policies or lead to ad hoc committees to focus further on various topics. The reports that resulted from the year-long studies are also used as resources for the membership. A few can be found here: Strategic Council - AIA. Through the work of the council, however, the leadership at the AIA has become more inclusive, climate action has been brought to the forefront of the profession, there is a focus on mental health in the workplace and the institute has been made aware of the impact of technology in the practice, among a few things. This year’s areas of focus include different aspects related to the value of architecture, equity and accessibility, equitable communities, challenges in the workplace and the metaverse-bridging of the gap between reality and VR.

How do you feel that your service in many capacities at the state component level has helped develop you to take on leadership at the National level?

Throughout my tenure as a volunteer with the American Institute of Architects, I have had the opportunity to serve the profession in various capacities. I have worked at the local and state level, as well as been involved in regional events including the Emerging Professionals Symposium and the Gulf States Design Awards program. In each role, I have been able to visit with a diverse group of individuals, each with different challenges, goals and aspirations with regard to the profession. In my position as a councilor, I am able to draw from these experiences to guide topics of the conversation toward the challenges I have seen and experienced first-hand. My service to the institute has also fostered relationships with members across the country who are invaluable resources, not just to myself, but to the state.

Why did you take on this role?

The initial reason I took on this role was to honor my friend and mentor, Michael Lejong. Michael and I had multiple discussions about leadership within the AIA and how we can best serve the profession. After his passing, it was important to me that his legacy continued. I by no means thought I could replace Michael; just simply continue the work he had started. The other reason I volunteered to serve on the council was to learn more about the work of the institute and to make a difference. The only way to drive change is to get involved. I encourage everyone to do so. It has also allowed me the opportunity to meet people I greatly respect who are working tirelessly to improve the architecture profession and the built environment. These people have had a profound effect on me, and I have found these relationships to be priceless. I’m honored to serve alongside these inspirational individuals.

Background

Lori became a partner at Jennings+Santa-Rita Architects in Fayetteville in 2015. She served as the 2019 AIA Arkansas president, is a founding member of Women in Architecture Arkansas and is currently working with the AIA National Strategic Council as the Arkansas representative. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas in 2005, Lori was appointed to the City of Fayetteville Environmental Action Committee and, over the years, has been involved in various nonprofits throughout the state.

Lori’s dedication to the profession of architecture and community service were recognized by the AIA Arkansas 2018 Emerging Professional Award. She was also included in the Northwest Arkansas Business Journals 40 under 40 in 2015 and featured in the Women Make Arkansas publication by Et Alia Press in 2019. Lori enjoys being involved in various outreach initiatives using her craft to engage with others on the subjects of architecture and equity.

MEMBER NEWS

Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, Honored

At AIA's Conference on Architecture

A little more than two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Institute of Architects’ Conference on Architecture returned in June for the first time since 2019. Hosted at the 2.7-million-square-foot McCormick Center in Chicago, the conference brought together thousands of architects from across the country for four packed days of sessions, keynote speeches, parties, award ceremonies and chance encounters on the expo floor. Chicago’s celebrated architecture and enduring importance within the profession helped draw architects to the conference to make up for two years of missed in-person gatherings.

The winners of several years’ worth of AIA awards were honored at the conference, including 2020 Gold Medal laureate Marlon Blackwell, FAIA. Blackwell, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, is a distinguished professor and the E. Fay Jones chair in architecture in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, where he has taught since 1992. Founder of Marlon Blackwell Architects, he is the second architect practicing and teaching in Arkansas to be awarded the Gold Medal since the program began in 1907. Fay Jones, FAIA, a longtime professor and founding dean of the Fay Jones School, received the AIA Gold Medal in 1990.

James Meyer, Brandon Ruhl and James Bakanovic

Taggart Firm Promotes

Meyer, Ruhl, Bakanovic

Taggart Architects is proud to announce the recent promotions of James Meyer and Brandon Ruhl to partners and James Bakanovic to principal.

Meyer is a project designer/architect as well as being a founding member of studioMAIN and former regional associate director for the Gulf States Region of the American Institute of Architects. Since joining Taggart in 2016, he has contributed to several of the firms’ significant projects around the state. Meyer brings an energy and enthusiasm for his profession that has continued to serve both the Taggart team and its clients.

Ruhl has been a project architect with Taggart for 10 years. While mainly focused on designing and managing projects, he has always been and remains very active in all aspects of the firm’s practice. He is a LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty in Building Design and he has served on the USGBC-AR Board of Directors and the AIA Arkansas board.

Meyer and Ruhl join the Taggart leadership team of Bill Gray, Alan New, Mike Callahan and Bram Keahey.

Bakanovic is a project architect who has been with Taggart for 23 years and is an instrumental leader in our national healthcare portfolio. As an expert in construction administration James travels around the nation ensuring the quality of construction and design we strive for is adhered to.

Cromwell’s summer interns in its Little Rock office include (pictured left to right, back row) Matt Martin, Katherine Schaffhauser, Stuart Fletcher, (front row) Maddox Townsend and Jeremiah Brown.

Cromwell Welcomes Five Summer Interns

Cromwell Architects Engineers has welcomed five interns to its Little Rock office for the summer of 2022. They are Matt Martin, Katherine Schaffhauser, Stuart Fletcher, Maddox Townsend and Jeremiah Brown.

Martin, interning in the mechanical engineering department, is a Wilton, Conn. native attending Wake Forest University. He is majoring in engineering with concentrations in civil/environmental engineering and mechanical engineering and minoring in mathematics. Schaffhauser, interning in the electrical engineering department, is a Little Rock native attending the University of Arkansas. She is majoring in electrical engineering with a minor in mathematics. Fletcher, interning in the energy services department, is a Little Rock native attending the University of Arkansas. He is majoring in mechanical engineering.

Townsend, interning for his second summer with the architecture department, is a Bentonville native attending the University of Arkansas. He’s majoring in architecture with a minor in history of architecture. Brown, also interning with the architecture department, is a Kansas City, Mo., native attending the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He is currently seeking a master’s degree.

UA's Ethel Goodstein-Murphree

Named ACSA Distinguished Professor

Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, an architectural historian and professor of architecture and associate dean in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, has been recognized with a top honor by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture in its 2022 Architectural Education Awards program.

Goodstein-Murphree, Ph.D., is one of five educators selected this year to receive the 2022 ACSA Distinguished Professor Award. This honor is intended to recognize individuals who have had a positive, stimulating and nurturing influence upon students and have produced a body of work that advances understanding of architecture and/or architectural education.

"On behalf of the school to which Ethel Goodstein-Murphree has devoted her academic career, I am so pleased for this recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the discipline, to the betterment of her colleagues and to the improvement of the lives of a generation of Arkansas students," Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School, said. "The school is privileged and distinguished by her presence, energies and voice each and every day. Ethel's lifework is situated in this school and this university, but her contributions transcend this good place, having transformed the landscape of American architectural education."

Goodstein-Murphree, who has taught in the Fay Jones School since 1992, is a specialist in American architectural and cultural history. Her research focuses on Mid-Century Modernism, the controversies surrounding its preservation and the importance of placing women in its narrative. Her scholarship has told Arkansas' architectural story to a national audience, but her deepest impact has been made through service on historic district commissions in Arkansas and Louisiana and on the Board of Directors of Preserve Arkansas. In the classroom, Goodstein-Murphree provokes emerging designers to engage the past as a lens through which the problems of the present must be understood.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Vote for the Members' Choice Award

AIAAR Members' Choice Award As an AIA Arkansas member, you can utilize the online voting system to vote for the Member Choice Award. This will allow more members the opportunity to vote on their favorite project. Take some time to view all of...

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www.aiaar.org

Harding University Launches

Accelerated Architecture Program

Harding University has launched an accelerated architecture program designed for qualified students to earn a Bachelor of Arts in architectural studies and a Master of Architecture in only five years.

“First and foremost, architecture at Harding is going to prepare students for practice,” Mike Steelman, program director, said. “Even though design and creativity are interwoven throughout every aspect of the program, Harding is going to make sure students leave here prepared to become licensed architects. We’ll do that through involvement in real-world scenarios, practical experience in internships and projects that are designed not only to stretch your creativity but also give you experience with practical projects.”

The first cohort will begin this fall. The foundation of the program is to develop architects with character, integrity and hearts for service who are grounded in technical capability and empowered to explore unlimited passion and creativity through the process of design. The program also includes a semester of study abroad following the third year, giving students an opportunity to experience cultural diversity and foundational architecture around the world.

Harding is currently pursuing accreditation through the National Architectural Accrediting Board for the Master of Architecture degree. For more information about the program, visit harding.edu/architecture or call 501-279-4426.

Vote for the People's Choice Award

AIAAR People's Choice Award AIA Arkansas launched it's inaugural People's Choice Award in 2015 to increase public awareness of the level of design excellence produced by Arkansas architects. We encourage AIA members to share this voting...

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www.aiaar.org

Business Conditions at Firms Remain

Strong Despite Economic Headwinds

The American Institute of Architects reports that architecture firms continued to report strong business conditions in May, despite increasing headwinds in the economy. While the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 53.5 for the month means that fewer firms reported an increase in billings in May than in April (when the score was 56.5), the majority of firms reported billings growth for the 16th consecutive month. In addition, both inquiries into new projects and the value of new design contracts ticked up this month, indicating that there is still both strong interest in new projects and a substantial number of projects in the pipeline for which contracts have already been signed.

Business conditions also improved at firms in all regions of the country for the second consecutive month in May, with firms in the Northeast continuing to report modest growth after seven straight months of declining billings. Business conditions remained strongest at firms located in the West, followed by firms located in the Midwest. By firm specialization, while billings continued to increase at a steady clip at firms with a multifamily residential specialization, the pace of growth has slowed somewhat in recent months. Firms with a commercial/industrial specialization are still seeing the strongest conditions overall, as has been the case for much of the last year, while billings growth remained more modest at firms with an institutional specialization.

We asked firm leaders about projects at their firm that are designed to meet a rating system, like LEED v4, WELL, and/or Energy Star. Overall, responding firms indicated that approximately 17% of their firm’s projects over the past year were designed to meet a rating system. This share was higher at firms located in the West, as well as at large firms with annual billings of $5 million or more, which reported that 20% and 25% of their projects, respectively, were designed to meet a rating system. On the other hand, firms with a commercial/industrial specialization reported that just 8% of their projects met these criteria, in contrast to 20% of firms with a multifamily residential specialization and 21% of firms with an institutional specialization.

Envision Competition - studioMAIN

30 Crossing is the largest and most expensive project that ARDoT has ever undertaken. It effects many communities but has an enormous impact on the urban fabric of downtown Little Rock. This competition is intended to bring focus on how the...

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www.studio-main.org

At AIA Conference, President Obama

Talks Architecture and Current Issues

Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, headlined AIA’s Conference on Architecture 2022 on June 24 in Chicago. He sat in conversation with AIA President Dan Hart, FAIA, where they discussed a wide variety of topics including his relationship to architecture, the issues facing the country, advice for architects and much more. A longtime Chicago resident, President Obama reveled in the energy of his hometown by sharing anecdotes and wisdom gleaned from his eight years as president. Much of the conversation revolved around President Obama’s relationship to many of AIA’s strategic priorities, including the link between environmental issues and social justice.

“Chicago is a case study of times architecture reinforced inequity,” he said, citing lower income housing in the city that wasn’t energy efficient and didn’t “give a lot of thought to how people live,” particularly in the winter. “Good planning and skilled architects are needed, but this is where government policy makes a difference. Sprawl in America isn’t good for our climate, so we have to think about how we create a livable density that allows us to take mass transit and allows us to take bicycles and foot traffic,” he said. “It’s not just lack of funding for affordable housing, frankly some very well-intentioned laws and regulations at the local level, often generated from the left and my own party, sometimes are inhibiting the creation of affordable housing and empowering NIMBY attitudes that make it very difficult to integrate communities.”

He also looked inward at his experience with architecture and explained that at one point in his life he wanted to be an architect. He also gave advice to architects that listening to the community can impact their work. “The single most important thing I learned and carried through my entire career is listening to people. Turns out you don’t learn that much talking, but you do learn a lot listening,” he said. “If people feel as if you’re actively listening and care about their stories and lives, they will tell you what’s important to them and who they are. That applies to every profession, including architecture. The gesture of interest that can then inform design is something that anyone can do.”

President Obama looked back on his time in the White House and discussed both the high points and low points of his presidency. He said the passing of the Affordable Care Act was a highlight, adding that he enjoyed a cold martini on the Truman Balcony at the White House with staff who worked on the legislation after it was codified into law.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., was the lowest point of his time in office. “That was a low point in waves. There was the shock of what had happened. There was me traveling to try to comfort parents to whom this had just happened,” he said. “It was the only time I saw Secret Service members cry on the job,” adding that he also felt fury at Congress for not doing anything to pass tighter gun control legislation.

He reflected on the state of the country and looked at some of the biggest challenges that the country faces, and why he thinks there’s a need for the public to focus on facts again. “Everyone used to be working off the same base of facts. Now if you read the New York Times, you occupy a different world than if you watch Fox News,” he said. “Think about what’s happening with the January 6th Commission and hearings taking place in the House. If you’re watching it, you’re seeing one set of facts and if you’re watching Tucker Carlson, you are seeing a very different set of facts.”

The former president’s appearance at A’22 coincides with ongoing work at the Obama Presidential Center, an architecture project in the city’s Jackson Park neighborhood, a South Side neighborhood located mere miles from his speech at the McCormick Place Convention Center. The project, which broke ground in September 2021, is designed by AIA Architecture Firm Award winners Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects. It will feature a museum that will emphasize “the fullness of the American story,” ample public space designed as a community gathering area, a new branch of the Chicago Public Library and much more.

ALLIED CORNER

Helpful Resources From the ATG Team

Hello AIA AR Team! I'm pleased to share some helpful resources from the ATG team for our Arkansas architect friends. Please see below. – Jenn Hartman, Marketing Project Manager, ATG

Industry Updates to Note:

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Workflow Hacks:

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Evaluate System Families in a Revit Project Template

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Top 5 Things Architects Should STOP Doing NOW

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