Archinect - News

AIA launches 2017 “I Look Up” Film Challenge

2017-06-01T20:44:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects just launched their third annual I Look Up Film Challenge with the theme “Blueprint for Better”. The competition invites U.S.-based architects to team up with filmmakers to tell the stories of projects that are making a positive impact on their communities. The theme serves as a reminder of the social impact that architects can create through their designs.

Registration is open now until Monday, June 26. All film entries submitted by the August 13 deadline will be reviewed by a jury panel, including architects Rosa Sheng and Michael Ford, AIA President Thomas Vonier, film producer John Montague (associate producer of “Moonlight”), and Benjamin Moore Design Director Priscilla Ghaznavi.

From August 21-October 6, the public will get a chance to vote for their favorite entries. The winners will get to have their films screened at the Architecture and Design Film Festival in early November, and will also be rewarded with cash and distribution prizes.

Nee...

AIA launches second video in "Look Up" campaign featuring a blind architect

2015-05-19T20:33:00-04:00

Entitled "An Architect's Story", the video features Chris Downey, a blind architect and founder of "Architecture for the Blind" in San Francisco. The piece, which debuted at the AIA National Convention last week, focuses on Downey's approach to architecture before and after unexpectedly becoming blind in 2008, and features talking-head interviews with Downey, one of his clients, and a student of his at UC Berkeley.

The documentary piece is starkly different in approach and style to the first installment of the "Look Up" campaign. Yes, both have the kind of generically-inspiring music one would have equal luck finding in either a Koch Industries' ad or the trailer for a young-adult romantic drama. But while the first spot, tasked with framing the "Look Up" identity, tended towards cinematic, fast-cut clips of dramatic or cerebral moments to churn up excitement about the profession, "An Architect's Story" is more focused on personal perspective. It strives to take Downey's insights fro...

"All Work and All Play": Archinect Sessions Episode #16 with Jimenez Lai and Robert Ivy, CEO of the AIA

2015-02-12T19:40:00-05:00

What do Robert Ivy FAIA, EVP/CEO of the AIA, and Jimenez Lai, of Bureau Spectacular, have in common? Other than they're both architects, not so much! What better way to celebrate a profession at the crossroads than featuring interviews with both in our latest podcast episode.

Paul, Amelia, Donna and Ken spoke with Ivy about the AIA's newly launched "I Look Up" (#ilookup) public awareness campaign for architects, and Jimenez Lai joined us in studio to discuss his latest Graham Foundation-funded collaboration, Treatise: Why Write Alone?.

Treatise is currently being exhibited at the Graham Foundation in Chicago through March 28, and its eponymous publication launches March 18.

As always, you can send us your architectural legal issues, comments or questions via twitter #archinectsessions, email or call us at (213) 784-7421.

Listen to episode sixteen of Archinect Sessions, "All Work and All Play" with Jimenez Lai and Robert Ivy FAIA, EVP/CEO of the AIA:

iTunes: Click here to listen, and...