The AIA Virginia board issued a statement of our unwavering principles and values as we closed out 2016. Our beliefs and values are enduring guidance that shapes our actions and we, as architects, continue to be guided by these principals.
- The value of non-partisan unity.
- The responsibility to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- The urgency of sustainable design.
- The necessity of livable communities.
- The obligation for civil exchange.
Architects must “speak up” and be engaged in the public discourse that shapes our society, communities, and neighborhoods. “Citizen Architect” usually is imagined as an architect that serves in an elected position or volunteers on a public board but can also be imaged as being individually involved in the public dialogue that influences decision making.
AIA Virginia advocates on behalf of our members in the legislative process and needs to have a place at the table when legislation is discussed that affects our communities and practice of architecture in the Commonwealth. Through the efforts of our legislative advocacy, we have developed relationships with a wide range of legislators from both sides of the isle that have reveled track records of which legislators are in alignment with our support or opposition of proposed bills that affect our profession. Architects need to support those legislators that can continue these efforts and we can only do that through the AIA Virginia PAC. Contributions to incumbents up for reelection are the way that we can show our continuing support of their efforts. Know that your AIA dues do not and cannot support these PAC efforts and only by supporting the PAC can we be heard. This year all 100 House seats and three statewide offices are up for election. Please contribute today https://aiavapac.org/give/.
The Grassroots leadership conference is happening now in D.C. and architects from around the country will be making Hill visits to deliver the AIA national legislative agenda. The conference emphasizes component leadership and workshops designed to help component officers become more effective chapter and civic leaders. Members are given the opportunity to provide input on AIA initiatives, share information and ideas, and best practices with their counterparts from around the country. In addition to the regular programs devoted to building stronger component leaders, this year’s event will introduce attendees to the role of architects in shaping lives through design.
You can review the Issues Brief linked here;
Issue brief – Support federal sustainability goals
Issue brief – Support the preservation of historic buildings and spaces
Issue brief – Investing in our nation’s infrastructure
Issue brief – Help young architects serve their communities
Issue brief – Reform procurement laws that inhibit good design
Issue brief – Help communities prepare for natural disasters
Issue brief – Promote a comprehensive, fair, pro-growth tax code
I hope to see you at Grassroots, in Washington DC, and A’17, the architecture & design event of the year in Orlando FL. Take time to reach out to your representatives, either local or national, and offer your opinions and expertise as architects who have unique understandings and perspectives on the qualities we want to see in society, communities, and neighborhoods.
Bill Brown, AIA
2017 AIA Virginia President