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Compared to AIA letters issued during Obama's election, CEO Robert Ivy's statement on Trump is far from "business as usual"

2016-11-18T19:47:00-05:00

Welp, that was fast. On yesterday's episode of Archinect Sessions ("#89: AIAWOL"), while discussing the recent fallout over the AIA's statement pledging support of President-elect Trump, Paul sent out an open call to listeners: send us any other statements made by the AIA in response to a prior presidential election. Within hours of posting the episode, the AIA responded with two statements: one from President Obama's election in 2008 (dated 11/24/2008), and one from his reelection in 2012 (dated 11/7/2012).

While all three statements appear, on their face, as form-letters expressing that the AIA will work with the President-elect insofar as their usual role demands, the 2008/2012 statements differ in a few key ways from the one AIA CEO Robert Ivy made in the wake of this year's election, provoking outrage among members.

For one, neither the 2008 nor 2012 statements are signed by any one person—they quote from the concurrent AIA President or CEO, but are not issued as if directly from...

AIA CEO and President issue "special message to members" in latest response to #NotMyAIA debacle

2016-11-17T20:46:00-05:00

After AIA CEO Robert Ivy's statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump's administration drew fire from AIA members and architectural organizations—resulting in the #NotMyAIA hashtag and threats to not renew membership—Ivy and AIA President Russell Davidson responded with a special apology video to try and assuage members. More details on the timeline of events can be found here.

The dissenting discussion and frustration with AIA's "spineless" response to the repudiation of a "business as usual" attitude continued on Twitter, and has apparently not fallen on deaf ears, now that Ivy and Davidson have issued yet another statement on the AIA's website.

Their complete letter, posted here on November 17, is as follows:

A special message to members

AIA CEO/EVP Robert Ivy, FAIA, and 2016 AIA President Russell Davidson, FAIA, November 17, 2016

The impassioned responses to the recent AIA press statement concerning the future presidential administration make clear that the experience of th...

AIA Chicago responds to AIA CEO's statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump

2016-11-14T20:00:00-05:00

The AIA Chicago Board of Directors wants to assure our members that we do not support the recent statement made by national AIA on November 10, which prematurely expressed the support of AIA’s 89,000 members for an unarticulated infrastructure agenda made by the incoming presidential administration.

Chicago's AIA chapter has joined a growing list of local chapters, individuals and other architectural organizations who have expressed concerns over AIA CEO Robert Ivy's statement in support of the Trump administration. For a complete run-down of the debacle and its evolution into the #NotMyAIA hashtag, see our explainer.

The Chicago AIA's statement, written by senior board members, was originally published on their website on November 14. Its complete form is as follows:

To members of AIA Chicago:

The AIA Chicago Board of Directors wants to assure our members that we do not support the recent statement made by national AIA on November 10, which prematurely expressed the support of AIA’s 89,000 members for an unarticulated infrastructure agenda made by the incoming presidential administration. Further, we are committed to working with all of you to deepen our diversity and inclusion initiatives, and to continue the discussions that affect positive change on issues that are critical to...

Yale School of Architecture students respond to AIA's comments in support of President-elect Donald Trump

2016-11-14T18:37:00-05:00

On November 9, 2016, the American Institute of Architects resigned itself to a cowardly position of economic and political subservience with its support of President-elect Trump. The AIA’s refusal to take a principled stance on an incoming administration that galvanized support through hatred, divisiveness, and fear constitutes an abdication of its self-proclaimed responsibility to speak on behalf of architects and a contradiction of its own stated beliefs.

We, the undersigned students of the Yale School of Architecture, unequivocally denounce the AIA’s endorsement of the new status quo. For too long, our profession has been complicit in giving form to landscapes of inequality and discrimination, and has itself been plagued by a history of racial and gender inequity. The AIA’s immediate and unquestioning pandering to the Trump administration threatens a continuation of our troubled past and demonstrates a willingness to pursue financial gain at the expense of our values. With the pro...

Tamara Roy AIA, President of the Boston Society of Architects/AIA responds to #NotMyAIA

2016-11-14T18:23:00-05:00

Dear Mr. Ivy:

On behalf of the Boston Society of Architects/AIA I am writing to share our shock and disappointment with last week’s post-election statement expressing the Institute’s willingness to work with President-elect Trump and members of the 115th Congress. While we support the need for design professionals and AIA members to work together to move the country forward, and the country’s need to address failing infrastructure, this statement fails to acknowledge the serious contradictions between the Trump campaign and the AIA’s own mission and values. The conciliatory and congratulatory tone of last week’s message in response to the election is at odds with the very goals and values articulated by the AIA. We agree with the Architect’s Newspaper. It would be irresponsible and reprehensible to “ignore the role design and designers could play in instituting and perpetuating the inequality inherent in the racist patriarchy Trump’s ideology embodies.” We wish to reaffirm our commit...

Cheryl Noel, AIA of Chicago's Wrap Architecture responds to #NotMyAIA

2016-11-14T18:22:00-05:00

I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live. I could not live in any of the worlds offered to me — the world of my parents, the world of war, the world of politics. I had to create a world of my own, like a climate, a country, an atmosphere in which I could breathe, reign, and recreate myself when destroyed by living. That, I believe, is the reason for every work of art.

I am writing in response to Robert Ivy’s post-election statement committing the AIA’s 89,000 members to working with Donald Trump. As an architect, as a woman, this AIA member makes no such commitment.

The fact that in 2016 the very thought of an intelligent, talented, overqualified woman holding the highest political office in our country was still so intolerable to most voters that a misogynistic, bigoted bully was able to beat her is absolutely soul crushing. Though I fully support the funding of long overdue infrastructure improvements—obstructed in large p art by Mr. Trump’s Republican colleagues—ƒMr. Ivy’s insensitive statement in such close proximity to the election result, that so many of us are devastated by, is offensive and represents the latest saddest example of architects willing to sell their souls chasing the next project fee. There are moments in time when we are presented with choices, choices that define who we are. Who will we choose to be?

Donald Trump based his...

The worst thing about the Venice Biennale? Its critics, argues Phineas Harper

2016-06-01T14:18:00-04:00

This biennale was not perfect. None are. And frankly I wonder whether Venice can ever be a fit venue for a serious interrogation of issues more profound than the Campari or Aperol conundrum. The vernissage is, at heart, a schmoozey, boozey networking knees-up in which the architectural great and good cheek-kiss their way down Via Garibaldi occasionally glancing in a pavilion. Arevena knew this all too well when he set out to give the festival some bite.

Architecture Foundation Deputy Director/Turncoats founder Phineas Harper gives his two cents on critics' self-righteous reactions to the Venice Biennale.

Find more Archinect coverage on the 2016 Venice Biennale in News and Features.

James Goldstein responds to Orhan's Concannon article

2012-07-11T14:01:00-04:00

Dear Mr. Ayyuce, I have read your article regarding the destruction of the Lautner Concannon residence and would like to set the record straight. Prior to my purchase and demolition of the Concannon Residence, I had extensive discussions with John Lautner regarding his feelings about the home. He was 100% in favor of the demolition of the Concannon Residence...

The venerable James Goldstein, collector of John Lautner treasures, past and present, responds to Orhan's feature article Lautner's Concannon Residence, from Dust to Dust. Jump down to the comments to read, along with Orhan's thoughtful reply back to him.