Perspective One

By Anna Barbour, AIA, WIA Co-Chair



After a three-year hiatus, the Women’s Leadership Summit re-emerged in San Jose, California, hosted by the AIA Silicone Valley Chapter. Attended by 750 participants, this was the largest gathering of women architects I have joined. Having participated in previous summits which had 400 (in 2017, hosted by our own AIA Northern Virginia WIA committee) and 700 women (in 2019, hosted by AIA Minneapolis), I am reinvigorated and motivated by fellow female colleagues who are just "doing the work".  

I attended the WLS in San Jose with my 16 other cohorts from the inaugural group of Next to Lead. Initiated by a 2018-member resolution, the AIA developed the Next to Lead to identify and amplify ethnically diverse women for leadership roles in the AIA. After a year of virtual evening sessions including strengths identification, ethics and board service, and conversations with the national executive committee, the visionaries were invited to attend WLS and volunteer time in support of the event.

Women In Architecture, our local WIA group was invited to participate in presentations highlighting national WIA Chapters, alongside international groups as well. We submitted three boards showcasing our robust WIA committee; our 30 x 30 program, which highlights 30 architectural and design professionals during Women’s month; and our role as the 2017 WLS host chapter.

All mainstage sessions occurred in the theater of San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. This allowed for a large crowd to enjoy intimate conversations of presenters and speakers but lacked the ability to have interim conversations in a banquet seating style venue as previous locations had permitted. Along with amazing weather, fantastic tours bookended the Summit, including Silicone Valley Tech Campus and Stanford Innovation and cities like Monterey, Oakland and Berkeley. 

Being surrounded by so many female architects filled me with a great sense of belonging which enveloped me, as the question was posed to the participants “What Does Belonging Mean to you?” To me, Belonging, is being authentic to myself and accepted for who I am. This narrative has been supported and enhanced by my Next To Lead scholars, who are now more than just colleagues, but who I consider a tribe of lifelong supporters.

Perspective Two

By Rebecca Pantschyschak, AIA, WIA Past Chair

As a DINK (dual income, no kids) woman attending the WLS for the first time, 7.5 years post-grad and having almost completed one of the most iconic projects I'll probably ever work on, I'm not quite sure what my hopes for WLS were. As a Past Chair of the Women in Architecture committee and a 2023 AIA NoVA Board Director, I was excited about networking with other women architects from across the country, learning new leadership skills, and was ready for some female comradery. I was not surprised that the content of WLS primarily focused on the two current major objectives of the AIA: climate change and DEI.

However, I was not anticipating the conference to so intimately speak to some of the deepest struggles I have with a career in architecture: staying in the profession with kids, and chronic stress/burnout. I was encouraged by my peers' demands that we push women’s equality forward, their advice to "stay the course" through the mid-career season of life, and their brutally honest discussion about how to change the idiotic amount of stress we put on ourselves.

To that end, here are some of the quotes and ideas that stuck with me:

• “Don’t give up on the profession, we need you.” - Lakisha Woods, AIA Vice President and CEO

• “What is our truth and how can we speak it loud and clear?” - Zainab Salbi, opening Keynote speaker, founder of Women to Women International

• The word “irreducibles," meaning design intent ideas we will not compromise on – Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang

• On Mental health: how can we not just survive, but thrive? If you are thriving you are: engaged, confident, on time, meet deadlines

• What Gen Z is expecting as they enter the workforce: Full support for mental health, brutal honesty in our values, they will work hard but reject "hustling" just to earn our respect, the weight of climate change is heavy on their shoulders and we have to help.

• The progression to burnout: Stress > Chronic Stress > Burnout

• “Don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good.” - Lona Rerick, ZGF; on selecting climate-friendly materials

• Don't forget that every decision you make on a project relates back to Climate Action. We often forget this.

• “You need to be the kind of person that people want to follow.” - Janet Tam, FAIA; Noll & Tam Architects

• Speak up for other women. Always.

Chapter Requesting Additional Volunteer ARE® Prep Teachers

Every January, the Chapter begins its highly regarded ARE® Prep training for emerging professionals who are seeking licensure. Testing topics are: Project Management; Practice Management; Programming and Analysis; Project Planning and Design; Project Development and Documentation; and Construction and Evaluation. The Chapter is trying to deepen our stable of ARE® Prep course teachers, so whether you have recently passed your exams or took them years ago, if you are willing to teach one or more test topics, reach out via email with any questions you might have about teaching a future class session.

Calling Students:

2023 CRIT Scholar Research Grants   

Applications Due Dec. 30

AIAS and AIA are seeking applicants for the 2023 CRIT Scholar research program. If selected, CRIT Scholars receive a $1,000 grant towards their research along with a professional mentor in their area of research. Proposals in various stages will be reviewed. Students should be AIAS members. Apply Now.

Season of Charitable Giving

As the year begins to draw to a close, the season of charitable giving begins. AIA Northern Virginia has numerous opportunities to which you can direct your donations. Our chapter has a 501(c)(3) fund for charitable contributions to help support scholarships and public outreach programs. The fund is managed by the Virginia Foundation for Architecture under a fiscal agreement with our chapter and allows individuals to make tax-deductible contributions towards specific chapter programs. Funds can be directed toward one of two options: 

AIA Northern Virginia Community Outreach Fund

This option offers both a public outreach choice and an undesignated selection which permits the Chapter to direct the funds toward where the monies are most needed.  

Past Presidents and Fellows Scholarship

Awarded as funds allow, this is a minority-directed scholarship that aims to support diversity and inclusion among students pursuing architecture as a career by helping to cultivate the future of the architecture profession. Anyone can contribute, including Past Presidents and Fellows. 

Contributions to the fund are by check, made out to ‘The Virginia Foundation for Architecture, Inc.’ Funds may be directed toward a particular usage preference via the memo line, for example, ‘scholarships,’ ‘public outreach,’ or remain undesignated toward the general fund, which permits the funds to be applied where need is the greatest. Remember to include your name and address to receive an acknowledgement letter for tax purposes from the Foundation.

Please mail your check to: 

The Virginia Foundation for Architecture, Inc. 

Attn: Sharon Aponte 

2501 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220 

NoVA Firms Receive Several

2022 AIA Virginia Design Awards

Members won in a variety of categories, including general Architecture, Historic Preservation, Interior Design, Residential Design and Small Projects categories. While congratulations go out to all those rewarded by the jury, AIA NoVA would like to highlight our local winners, including: 

Awards of Honor

• Architecture: Arthur J. Altmeyer Social Security Administration Building, submitted by HGA

• Architecture: Capital One Hall, submitted by HGA

• Architecture: R|refuge, submitted by Page/

• Historic Preservation: Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall, submitted by Quinn Evans

• Interior Design: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, submitted by OTJ Architects

• Residential Design: StoryBoard,

submitted by KUBE architecture

Awards of Merit

• Architecture: AC Hotel by Marriott,

submitted by WDG Architecture 

• Architecture: VCU Health, Adult Outpatient Pavilion,

submitted by HDR

• Interior Design: Bill Richards Center for Healing,

submitted by Gensler 

• Small Projects: Studio 6420,

submitted by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect 

Comment Now on the Residential 2024 IECC Update

The 2024 draft Residential International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is now out for public comment. A 45-day review period for the 2024 Residential IECC is underway, with interested stakeholders invited to weigh in through Dec. 16, 2022 and to submit comments through cdpACCESS on the code language that jurisdictions will depend on for their next code cycle. Learn more.

2022 Emerging Leaders in Architecture Project Presentation

On Demand

Last month, during Architecture Exchange East, the 2022 class of Emerging Leaders in Architecture (ELA) presented their project which focused on solutions for the Belmont-Fallon community in Roanoke.

If you missed it, there is still a chance to watch it online. View it now.

ArchEx Credits and Survey

Open Now

All credits for ArchEx have been reported to member transcripts. Please check your transcript for accuracy and let AIA VA know if you forgot to sign into any of your sessions. If you haven’t shared your feedback yet, please fill out this survey to let us know how we can improve next year.

Online Safety-Assessment Program (SAP) Training

Feb. 24, 8:30am - 3:30pm

Provided by AIA Virginia, post-disaster Safety-Assessment Program (SAP) training provides architects, engineers, and building inspectors with the knowledge to provide evaluations of facilities and buildings in the aftermath of a disaster. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to consistently and safely assess structures for habitability and attendees will receive a nationally recognized Cal OES registration ID card from the state of California. You will need to purchase 2 Field manuals for this class. Virtual. 6.5 AIA LU|HSW. Cost: $105 AIA members; $180 non-members. Learn More. 

ATTENTION FIRMS!!!

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