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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. — Anaïs Nin
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... View full entry
The unthinkable has happened and Donald Trump is now the president-elect of the United States. Considering Trump's rocky relations with architects (and critics) and his comments on America's “inner cities” during the debates, now that he has won the White House, what does a Trump presidency... View full entry
Thanks to recent regulations issued by the Department of Labor, more salaried workers will receive overtime pay, beginning in December of this year. Previously, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 guaranteed that anyone making a salary of $23,660 or less annually was entitled to overtime pay (at... View full entry
After a strong 2015, there is a growing sense that the construction industry expansion will be more tempered over the next eighteen months. [...]
The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) semi-annual Consensus Construction Forecast, a survey of the nation’s leading construction forecasters, is projecting that spending will increase just less than six percent for 2016, with next year’s projection being an additional 5.6% gain.
— AIA
“Healthy job growth, strong consumer confidence and low interest rates are several positive factors in the economy, which will allow some of the pent-up demand from the last downturn to go forward,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “But at the same time, the slowing... View full entry
Robert Urquhart spoke with curators Jack Self, Shumi Bose and Finn Williams, previewing their British Pavilion for the 2016 Venice Biennale. As they explained; "We’re interested in the influence of bureaucratic apparatus like the Terms & Conditions of Airbnb, the semantics of a mortgage... View full entry
Going for the obvious choice, the AIA has replaced Kevin Spacey, who had to cancel his appearance, with thespian Julia Louis-Dreyfus as its first day keynote speaker for the 2016 Philadelphia convention on May 19th. Dreyfus will be interviewed by NPR's Terry Gross. As the AIA noted on its official... View full entry
Just in time for Earth Day, the AIA and the Committee on the Environment (COTE) revealed a new set of Top Ten Green Projects for 2016. Over the last two decades, the annual awards program is considered to be the profession's most rigorous awards program for sustainable design excellence throughout the U.S.
The jury chose the projects that best convey a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology.
— Bustler
Here's a peek of the winners:Rene Cazenave Apartments; San Francisco by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects and Saida + Sullivan Design Partners, Associated ArchitectH-E-B at Mueller; Austin, TX by Lake|Flato Architects, H-E-B Design + Construction, Selser Schaefer ArchitectsThe J. Craig Venter... View full entry
Working for free has been a reality for architects for decades. The hallmark of the practice is the open competition—a scourge on the financial and cultural health of the profession. But the argument against them has always seemed moot: as long as clients keep launching them, architects will keep entering them. Choosing not to participate, for some, seemed like a pointless act of professional self-sabotage. — FastCo.Design
"But in New York...a group of AIA chapters have shown that architects do have the power to push back against the wasteful and inefficient culture of open competitions."We've seen a lot of conversations about the culture surrounding competitions in 2016. Just a few weeks ago, a... View full entry
Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter/Spring 2016Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming... View full entry
Industry data show that, while improving, women and people of color are underrepresented in the field of architecture. [...]
While there is agreement on the perceived underrepresentation of people of color in the industry, recognition of the underrepresentation of women is not as definitive.
— Diversity in the Profession of Architecture
Conducted in 2015, the AIA's Diversity in the Profession of Architecture survey collected data from more than 7,500 professionals in the field, to see not only how the profession breaks down by demographics, but how those demographics perceive various challenges facing the profession. The AIA's... View full entry
We swear, no BIG or Trump on this episode. We discuss the donation of Lautner's breathtaking Sheats-Goldstein house, complete with jungle, nightclub and infinity tennis court, to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, to become the museum's first acquired piece of architecture (along with a sizable... View full entry
If you're planning to head to this year's AIA National Conference in Philadelphia, you're in for what should be a great talk: Rem Koolhaas, renowned founder and principal of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), has just been announced as the keynote speaker for the third day of the... View full entry
Following a generally positive performance in 2015, the Architecture Billings Index has begun this year modestly dipping back into negative terrain. [...] The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the January ABI score was 49.6, down slightly from the mark of 51.3 in the previous month. This score reflects a minor decrease in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 55.3, down from a reading of 60.5 the previous month. — aia.org
The AIA states these key ABI highlights for the month of January:Regional averages: West (50.8), Northeast (50.4), South (50.3), Midwest (48.9)Sector index breakdown: multi-family residential (51.9), commercial / industrial (50.5), institutional (49.9), mixed practice (49.0)Project inquiries... View full entry
What can architects learn from an award-winning producer and actor whose Netflix Original Series made appointment TV obsolete?
A lot.
— AIA Convention 2016 Press Announcement
Kevin Spacey will be the keynote speaker for the upcoming 2016 AIA Convention in Philadelphia, partly because he is described on the AIA's website as having a "talent for disruption and drive to challenge the status quo." Disruption seems to be trendy in the architectural community of late... View full entry
A new year, a new set of winners for the 2016 AIA Institute Honor Awards. Held annually, the awards are considered to be the profession’s highest recognition for projects that best exemplify design excellence in the categories of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Regional & Urban... View full entry
