What would America be without immigrants? More to the point, what would architecture be without the ability for those working within it to freely travel and collaborate with (much more affordable) talent from around the world? In recognition of these facts, the AIA has released an official statement that raises concerns about broad anti-immigration policies, and confirms the institute's dedication to reciprocal "free moment and association" around the globe. Here's the full text of the press release:
As discussion on immigration continues, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) today joins with many American businesses, industries and universities in calling for fair and impartial immigration policies, and in expressing deep concern about policies that restrict immigration from specific countries or regions based on overly broad factors, including religion.
“Beyond the essential considerations of fairness and equity, restrictions targeting specific areas of the world can have profoundly negative business impacts,” said AIA President Thomas Vonier, FAIA. “Professional service exports are a key contributor to AIA member firms and their earnings. In fact, the entire international building development, design and construction sector relies heavily on reciprocal treatment and on the fair and ethical ability to travel, reside and work across national boundaries.”
In addition to the need for regular legal travel by employees, clients and associates, many American architecture firms—like other industries and businesses—must be able to attract and retain qualified, skilled people from other countries in order to remain competitive. Targeted immigration restrictions, particularly when applied unfairly and without warning, can thwart recruiting efforts. They can also greatly inhibit business activity.
Finally, unilateral travel restrictions can damage the future of many professions, from medicine to architecture. In higher education, international students and faculty are essential to the future of our profession. The AIA also participates in international professional bodies which sponsor programs and activities that rely on the necessary movement of all parties.
The following statistics further support AIA’s concern about the impact any newly imposed immigration or travel restrictions will have on the broader design and construction industry:
Immigrant labor accounts for 23% of the total construction workforce in the U.S. (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, American Community Survey.)
In 2015, billings by U.S. architectural firms for international projects totaled $1.6 billion. Projects in Middle East countries accounted for 18% of those billings. (Source: AIA Firm Survey Report, 2015.)
Half of U.S. large architectural firms have offices in the Middle East/North Africa, which is the largest reported share of international offices. (Source: AIA Firm Survey, 2015.)
In the 2014-2015 school year, 4,283 architecture students at accredited programs were nonresident aliens. This represents 18 percent of the total—up from 6 percent in 2009. (source: NAAB annual report)
In 2015, 889 of the 6,348 total degrees (14 percent) were awarded to nonresident aliens. (source: NAAB annual report)
The AIA has 1,538 members licensed outside U.S. (887 International; 651 within U.S.).
The AIA stands for values and principles that promote free movement and association. Our profession, like the entire building industry, benefits from the contributions of immigrants and others outside of the United States, and from visa and immigration policies that are uniform, transparent, fair and free from arbitrary implementation.
38 Comments
Bravo!
So bold.
So brave.
So obviously an attempt to get people to forget earlier statements.
Wasting effort on non-architectural issues is a major reason the AIA doesn't carry the political weight it should.
Okay Smails.
Keep digging, beta
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8i5OrcxwFUA/maxresdefault.jpg
So gwharton you're saying that showing concern for the health and stability of the construction industry in the US (mostly run on immigrant labor) and the feasibility of international practice for US architecture firms (especially for in the Middle Eastern nations) are "non-architectural" issues? How so?
Smails, I can't figure out what I enjoy more; that you see me as Danny, the one that tells you to go screw, after he bangs your niece, on your bed, or that you identify with a loser, with a single sail sloop, that loses to Danny.
Donna: The "health and stability" of the construction industry has been significantly undermined by the ridiculously lax immigration policies of the past three decades. That immigrant labor may be cheap, but you get what you pay for, which is poor quality construction.
And, having spent several years myself in international practice, including quite a lot of work in the MENA region (UAE, Saudi, Lebanon, Yemen, Qatar, etc.), implementing sane immigration policies in the USA will do nothing to substantially harm the US architectural profession's ability to practice abroad in that region or any other.
^Bullshit Smails. Poor construction is not the result of immigrant labor, you can't prove that at all, poor construction is the result of capitalist fucktards, like you, that crush labor, and insist on mass produced shit, a la precast concrete and thin brick. PoMo fuck.
I'm gonna have to go with b3ta on this one, gwharton. You can't blame immigrants for crappy capitalism. But you still haven't answered the question I posed, which is whether or not AIA should comment on issues that impact the world of construction and practice. I may have leftist knee-jerk reactions to immigration issues, yes, but your comment shows that you have rightwing knee-jerk reactions to the same topics. We both know the truth is in the middle.
gwharton is the person that benefits from working in "Saudi, Lebanon, Qatar etc" (i.e. making money) then goes on to support the people that hate Muslims and immigrants. Get your head out of your ass Sir, you are nothing but a corporate capitalist jerk.
What that means is that I have direct experience with the parts of the world a lot of these folks are coming from. We really, really, really, really, really, really, really don't want our country to become ANYTHING like those places. Not even a little bit.
Bwa-hahahahahah!!! This is fucking hilarious.. FWIW I didn't even read the article, but "Travel-Positive"? Ha! Are you kidding me? What the fuck is that? ...
Likes walks on the beach, candle light dinners and is travel positive!
Or
"mom, I have some bad news,"
"What's wrong son?"
"Doctor said I've been diagnosed travel-positive."
Mom gasps and screams, " Noooooooooo!"
old white men support travel and immigration
FREE DANIEL!
Donna - you said "...the construction industry in the US (mostly run on immigrant labor)" and this very article says "Immigrant labor accounts for 23% of the total construction workforce in the U.S. (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, American Community Survey.)". this would mean at best that 55% of the construction industry does not labor? therefore of the 45% that do labor 23% must be immigrants, although a 1% margin hardly would make the statement "mostly" true.
wait, is this fake news? i.e. news that doesn't matter?
"Projects in Middle East countries accounted for 18% of those billings. (Source: AIA Firm Survey Report, 2015.)" will see if I can find it, but how much of that 18% is NOT United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Isreal or any other country not on the list. that would be called "spin" if lets say 90% of the 18% were in the nations I just listed.
before any of you brainwashed political junkies get your panties all tied in a bunch, i am not making any arguement for the "connotation" of the immigration policies of the president - just pointing out how silly journalists and social media is and how much dumber a professional organization is when they get involved in "beliefs" and "anxiety" of the ill informed public with regard to 2nd biggest body of bullshit "politics" (first is Religion, 3rd is Cable New).....AIA could just say - we do not like racism or sexism or etc...we like the best person for the job or to study architecture.
I wasn't talking to you Max. I'll wait for gwharton to answer the question that was actually posed.
But I'll clarify one thing: I should have said construction is *largely* run on immigrant labor. In the part of our field that I'm most active in recently, custom residential, *mostly* is accurate.
So Donna since legal immigration is not the issue right now, it's illegal immigration. Your position is that the only way the construction industry can be stable is with continued illegal labor, correct?. So you are in support of slave wages and deplorable working conditions in order to keep the construction industry viable? Is this your position?
I think based on my many posts and podcast comments here it's clear that that is not my position, archi-dude. This anti-immigrant effort is targeting both people who are here legally and those who are not, or whose family members are not, and despite either of those conditions human rights are at the forefront of my concerns.
Half of U.S. large architectural firms have offices in the Middle East/North Africa, which is the largest reported share of international offices. (Source: AIA Firm Survey, 2015.)
In the 2014-2015 school year, 4,283 architecture students at accredited programs were nonresident aliens. This represents 18 percent of the total—up from 6 percent in 2009. (source: NAAB annual report)
In 2015, 889 of the 6,348 total degrees (14 percent) were awarded to nonresident aliens. (source: NAAB annual report)
The AIA has 1,538 members licensed outside U.S. (887 International; 651 within U.S.).
yes beta, lets continue. large architectural firms, the list from which I am extracting this info. http://www.enr.com/toplists/2016_Top_500_Design_Firms1 purely Architecural firms as that press release does not say Engineering and construction, so SOM is excluded among many others... 1. Gensler, 2. Perkins and Will, 3. HKS, 4. Perkins Eastman, 5. KPF, 6. NBBJ, 7. Woods Bagot, 8. Corgan, 9. ZGF, 10. Populous
1. Gensler - Abu Dhabi and Dubai 2. Perkins and Will - Dubai, 3. HKS - Abu Dhabi, 4. Perkins Eastman - Dubai, 5. KPF - Abu Dhabi, 6. NBBJ - N/A, 7. Woods Bagot - Abu Dhabi and Dubai, 8. Corgan -N/A, 9. ZGF - N/A, 10. Populous - N/A..... so 60% in middle east between two locations Abu Dhabi and Dubai - both in United Arab Emirates
This is just window dressing by the AIA. They turned the other cheek when offices were closing left and right and architects were 99'ers during the Great Recession.
wait, are you suggesting the AIA could've done more, to save architect jobs, during a global, economic meltdown?
please, go on, do tell.
Here's a question-
Why does the AIA release a pro-immigration and travel-positive statement and then undermine itself using Architecture: The Journal of the American Institute of Architects to tweet about the deadline for Us-Mexico border wall submissions?
Did they? Really? It surprises me little.
They did indeed...
@b3ta, ICYMI see below, link here couldn't figure out how to embed images in threaded replies...
Thanks Nam
Records of US history support that America's immigration laws may need some tweaking or revision or “reform” but overall they were never unfair. These days, however, laws regarding travel and immigration are not being enforced with a sense of fairness and impartiality. Making a public statement about this is a very bold step for AIA.
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