Introducing Irem Sezer: our AIA Virginia VASG Resiliency Fellow

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As a direct result of our ongoing and substantial strategic partnership with Virginia Sea Grant (VASG), we are pleased to welcome Irem Sezer as the AIA Virginia VASG Resiliency Fellow.

Irem received a Bachelor of Architecture from Istanbul Technical University and is licensed as an architect in Turkey. Irem graduated in May 2023 with a Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech and is now pursuing licensure in the United States.

As the Resiliency Fellow, Irem will contribute to the resiliency and sustainability activities and programming organized by AIA Virginia, VA COTE, and the Outreach Advisory Council (e.g., Resiliency Week).

Irem will also support Virginia Sea Grant’s Adaptation Design Network (ADN). The ADN looks to integrate diverse disciplinary and sector-specific perspectives to generate transformational hybrid and nature-based solutions to issues such as flooding, sea level rise, and extreme weather.

Other potential projects include working with community-based resilience and design needs emerging from the Collaboratory with Wetlands Watch, or communities participating in the Resilience Adaptation & Feasibility Tool (RAFT) initiative with the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Old Dominion University.

The fellow will be a member of the VASG fellowship community with access to professional development training and cohort services that aim to enable the teamwork needed to find solutions to our climate challenges. The fellow will also work with professional mentors from within the AIAVA community.

This fellowship presents a massive opportunity for us to strengthen our continuing efforts to address issues concerning resiliency and sustainability across the commonwealth and become a significant influencer of statewide policy; an objective identified in our current Strategic Plan.

Please contact Paul Battaglia if you or your firm would be interested in collaborating with Irem on resiliency activities.

Aligning our Advocacy Efforts

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With special thanks to the Advocacy Advisory Council and particular gratitude to the Chair, Maggie Dunlap, Assoc AIA, we can report that the good work to coordinate and increase the effectiveness of our advocacy efforts continues.

We are supporting Community Events: opportunities for key stakeholders, including elected officials, to visit our projects and better appreciate the beneficial impact of the architectural approach and our specific expertise.

We are facilitating “off-season” (away from session) opportunities to connect with legislators and introduce them to the interests and capabilities of AIA members.

We are preparing for the upcoming session of the General Assembly. In the coming months, the Joint Legislative Committee (the JLC; joint because it is comprised of members from both AIA Virginia and ACEC-VA) will be mustered and briefed. We will keep you posted on the progress of the bills we monitor, support, and oppose; and we will invite your assistance if it should be needed.

Additional gratitude is due to the AIA Virginia PAC Board of Trustees, chaired by Eliza Engle, AIA, for their constant and continuing efforts to secure support for our PAC. And to our member colleagues who have responded to that call and invested. The value of being able to introduce ourselves, or deepen an existing relationship, at fundraising events cannot be overestimated. You can invest in the AIAVA PAC here.

Please know that if you become aware of any issues that you believe warrant our focus and attention – at any level: local, state, or federal – you are always welcome to reach out to me, Paul Battaglia.

Join Me At ArchEx

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As I sit here, on this rain-soaked Saturday afternoon, I find myself thinking about the upcoming AIA Virginia event annual convention, Architecture Exchange East (ArchEx). This is one of my favorite yearly AIA Virginia events. I look forward to the opportunity to be with friends and colleagues; share stories; create new memories; celebrate with the Honors and Design Award winners;  tours; seminars; and to be exposed to and learn about new products and materials.  This event has it all. Frankly, I am always saddened when ArchEx is over.

ArchEx 2023 starts on Wednesday, November 1, with a Keynote speaker with a military background discussing teamwork, collaboration, risk management, and readiness. All terms we are familiar with but this will offer a different viewpoint.  This will be followed by our AIA Virginia Annual Meeting where we review the AIA Virginia year, look at things planned for the coming year, and elect new AIA Virginia Officers. Wednesday finishes off with a number of different workshops, seminars, and tours.

I am particularly looking forward to Thursday.  The day kicks off with Networking Coffees centered around various topics of conversation. The morning is filled out with our Firm Size and Career Stage Round Table conversations and discussions. Don’t forget to visit the Expo Hall for lunch on Thursday and a chance to check out the latest materials and trends from our vendors and sponsors. Lunch is followed by an afternoon full of great workshops and seminars. My favorite seminar occurs on Thursday afternoon…the “2023 Design Award Winners”, with thoughts and commentary by the Jury Chair. The seminar always offers interesting and sometimes curious insight into the Award winners.  This is followed by another of my “must do” events, the Connections Cocktail Party. An opportunity to relax while you mix and mingle with sponsors, vendors, friends, and colleagues.  Always a great time!!

This year the Connections Cocktail Party is a prelude to Visions; our signature Honors and Awards celebration.   Visions offers a chance to celebrate the 2023 Honor and Design Award winners.  This year, Visions will be held at the historic Hippodrome Theatre, only a short distance away from the Convention Center. The celebration offers opportunities to celebrate & connect with old and new friends, over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.  Visions celebration is always the highlight of ArchEx. Purchase your tickets before October 23, 2023.

ArchEx 2023 wraps up on Friday with a morning packed with seminars and workshops. Seminars on risk management, collaboration, preservation, and sustainability; something for everybody.

ArchEx 2023 is an event you do not want to miss! Registration is open and the discount period ends Friday! Register today>>

I look forward to seeing everyone at ArchEx.

Mitch Rowland, AIA
President
AIA Virginia

Architect WPA in Norfolk

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Architect
Work Program Architects | Norfolk, VA

We are looking for an Architect II, Architect III, or Senior Architect to join the WPA team! You will be working with a fun group of architects, interior designers, urban designers, graphic designers, & industrial designers in an open & collaborative environment. Your role is going to be an exciting one, as WPA has an incredible portfolio of adaptive reuse, higher education, & commercial projects, each ready to get started as soon as you join us! We have a beautiful studio at Assembly & we can’t wait to share it with you. We love working together in person & offer a hybrid work environment complete with a work-from-home setup to provide flexibility.

WPA’s buildings are integrated into the urban landscape. As a Senior Architect, in addition to working on new construction & adaptive reuse projects, you will also be working with our in-house urban design team & our amazing team of consultants who are experts in coastal resilience. You will see your region change around you in just a few years as we design projects that positively affect our families & neighbors. Come to the table with a love of actively participating in an urban environment & designing & detailing to improve the lives of our community. Be comfortable with and enjoy listening, presenting, & sketching out ideas in front of a crowd.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Licensed Architect in VA or a state with reciprocity in VA
  • NAAB-accredited Bachelor or Master of Architecture
  • 8+yr professional experience within the architecture industry
  • Experience managing a team of designers & consultants
  • Construction Administration experience from kick-off to closeout
  • Ability to be the primary client contact for a given project
  • Demonstrated technical knowledge of materials, details, & construction
  • Demonstrated knowledge of ADA & building codes
  • Experience or interest in civic & end-user engagement
  • Rendering abilities & an eye for excellent composition & design
  • Passion for collaborative design & design excellence

Please send resumes and portfolio samples to our hiring committee at hiring@wparch.com.

Amber Book 2023

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Amber Book 2023

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Architect | VIA design architects, pc

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Architect
VIA design architects, pc | Norfolk, VA

Make an Impact
We value creativity and innovation to bring the best ideas forward. We value art and human interaction as the foundation of design. We are seeking an Architect to take charge of conceptual designs for projects, initiating ideas and leading a team to engineer the solutions. Your work will have a lasting impact, establishing the design direction that will result in quality spaces and places for our clients.

Challenge and Responsibility
As an Architect at VIA, you are challenged daily to lead a team of designers and guide decisions that result in beautiful spaces while meeting the goals of our clients. You are responsible for generating conceptual designs for projects of various scales and sizes, leading the vision for technical design, implementing sustainable design strategies, and executing construction documents that bring the project to life. You are expected to build and maintain relationships with the design team and clients to achieve consistent, successful results.

Skills and Requirements

  • Professional degree + licensure as an Architect
  • Proven experience leading a team through design + construction to project completion
  • Strong design + technical skills
  • Collaborative mindset + flexibility to work in a multidisciplinary design environment
  • Fluency in Revit + Adobe Creative Suite
  • Experience collaborating with Lumion, Enscape + Sketchup
  • Knowledge of sustainability, integrated design + LEED guidelines
  • Clear presentation, graphic, written + verbal communication skills

The Benefits
A competitive salary, 401k with matching contributions, and benefits such as 100% employer-paid health insurance, paid parking/public transit, paid time off, choose your own holidays/religious/cultural celebration days, time off for your birthday, and non-traditional perks such as: annual training and education stipend, time off to volunteer, an annual office closure from December 24th–January 1st, and much more!

If you are interested in this position, please submit a letter of interest, resume, and digital portfolio to Blair Valdivieso by email bval@viadesignarchitects.com.

Join Us For ArchEx 2023

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Registration is now open for the largest annual gathering of architects and design professionals in the mid-Atlantic: Architecture Exchange East 2023. We are excited to reconvene in person this year and we’ve built in plenty of opportunities to (re)connect with your colleagues!

ArchEx 2023 features carefully curated roundtables, educational sessions, tours, engaging special events, and vendors in the ArchEx Exhibit Hall — all organized around our theme of Collaboration & Connectivity.

We’ve focused on creating interactive experiences with opportunities for peer-to-peer sharing and hands-on learning.

Online Registration>> now closed. You can register onsite Nov. 1-3, 2023

We hope you’re as excited as we are to come back together for this annual (re)union of the profession!

Hotel block at the Marriott Downtown

AIA Virginia Newsletter: September 2023

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A Different Rhythm for ArchEx 2023 – Visions is on Thursday this Year
Registration is now open for ArchEx 2023. And while you are gearing up to plan your itinerary more precisely, please be aware of some important changes at this year’s conference.
More>>

PAC Award Update
There is a new chapter in the lead! You have 30 days left to make your PAC donation and increase the chances your chapter walks away with $1,000 for Architecture Week activities.
More>>

Annual Meeting and Slate of Officers Announced
Join us in person on Nov. 1st at ArchEx to hear about vital developments with your professional society, elect officers, and conduct other business at the AIA Virginia Annual Meeting of the Membership.
More>>

Brian Frickie Recognized as 2023 Noland Medalist>>

Dowling is 2023 Recipient of Award for Distinguished Achievement>>

Virginia Emerging Architect Award Goes to Agdinaoay and Gemmer>>

Brian Gore, Associate AIA, Recognized with first Virginia Associates Award>>

Artist Hamilton Glass and Virginia Delegate Sam Rasoul are recognized with AIA Virginia Honors>>

Chesterfield Neighborhood Recognized with AIA Virginia’s Test of Time Award>>

Welcome Our New Director of Education
We are very excited to welcome Delaney Ogden to the AIA Virginia team as our Director of Education.
More>>

Update from YAF
Check out these important updates and links to resources from Carrie Parker, Young Architect Representative for Virginia to the Young Architect’s Forum.
More>>

Calling All YARs
Are you interested in serving other young architects throughout the state? The position of AIA’s Young Architect Representative for Virginia is open for applications.
More>>

Welcome These New Members
We are always excited to welcome new members to Virginia. The following members recently joined AIA Virginia.
More>>

ELA Applications Open
Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 class of Emerging Leaders in Architecture. Who do you know who should apply to be in this distinguished program?
More>>

VANOMA Spotlight
Join VANOMA for their upcoming Spotlight event, featuring Mira Abdalla! Mira is an architectural intern at VMDO as well as an active participant of the AIA Virginia Emerging Leaders in Architecture (ELA) Class of 2023.
More>>

APELSCIDLA Appointees
Applauding those who serve.
More>>

Women’s Rights are Human Rights
The internationally celebrated poster show on gender-based inequality, violence, and discrimination comes to The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design.
More>>

AIA Trust Week is Coming
Join AIA Trust for a FREE full week of daily lunchtime webinars from 1-2 p.m. EDT, September 18-22.
More>>

Code Updates
Review the significant changes included in the 2021 Virginia Building and Fire regulations.
More>>

Newly Licensed
Congratulations to the following members for passing their exams and gaining licensure.
More>>

It’s Time to Update Your AIA Record
An improved user experience and increased self-service options are now available! Log into aia.org, choose “My Account” in the upper right-hand corner, and in the red “Manage” tile, click “Edit” to verify and provide missing information.

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Architecture Exchange East>>
Check out the statewide events calendar here: https://inform-magazine.com/events/

Brian Frickie Recognized as 2023 Noland Medalist

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The William C. Noland Medal, as the highest award bestowed on a member architect, is intended to honor a distinguished body of accomplishments, sustained over time, that spans a broad spectrum of the profession and that transcends the scope of normal professional activities. For 2023, the medal is awarded to Brian J. Frickie, FAIA.

As senior principal, president, and CEO of Arlington’s Kerns Group Architects, Frickie has helped his firm earn more than a dozen design awards. Within the firm he has institutionalized a practice culture that encourages young professionals to take on leadership roles on projects, in the office, in the AIA, in the profession, and in their communities.

But it is his service to the profession at state, local, and national levels that sets him apart as a worthy recipient of the Noland Medal. As his nomination asserts, “his visionary activism and collaborative, participatory style uphold the profession’s stature, elevate the organization’s relevance, and empower individual architects.” Over four decades, Brian has worked through local, state, regional, and national AIA components and in community organizations to highlight the instrumental roles architects can have in solving society’s most pressing issues.

As president of AIA Virginia, Frickie implemented initiatives to reconnect architects in schools and firms, to rebuild relationships among architects at all levels of the AIA, and to prepare future leaders. As charter member and later chair of the AIA National Small Firm Roundtable (SFRT), Brian refined and refocused the SFRT to… “advance the mutual interests of architects practicing in small firms,” and rebranded it as the Small Firm Exchange (SFx). Within the SFx mission, Frickie conceived AIAKinetic, the SFx APP (Architects’ Professional Primer), and served as its program director and managing editor. And, while representing The Virginias on the AIA National Strategic Council, he convened the Professional Development Study Group and chaired the AIA National Strategic Planning Committee in creating AIA’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, which is now being implemented.

Frickie has devoted his career to preparing future generations of architects to take on the mantle of creating a better environment for society, becoming more effective leaders, and developing a better profession. His vision of a year-long leadership development academy for emerging professionals came to fruition in 2009 as AIA Virginia’s Emerging Leaders in Architecture (ELA) program, now one of the oldest and longest continuously operating leadership programs for architects in the country.

For his passionate service, Brian Frickie, FAIA, will be presented with the Noland Medal at the Visions for Architecture event on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the Hippodrome Theatre in Richmond.

Dowling is 2023 Recipient of Award for Distinguished Achievement

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Shannon Dowling, AIA, principal and learning environments strategist at Ayers Saint Gross in Richmond, will be presented AIA Virginia’s 2023 Award for Distinguished Achievement. The Award for Distinguished Achievement recognizes either a singular achievement by an architect or the work of an entire career in any of the following: design, practice, education, service as a “citizen architect,” service to the profession, or initiatives to advance social justice, equity, diversity, or inclusion.

Dowling focuses on creating research-driven and student-centered learning environments. Equipped with an extensive knowledge of educational trends and challenges, she always works with the physical and psychological needs of students in mind. She collaborates closely with educators, students, and administrators to create inspirational yet functional space in which every student feels comfortable, safe, and ready to succeed.

in 2020 and 2021, as the recipient of a fellowship from the Society for College and University Planning, Dowling worked with students to create a playbook for the planning and design of diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus environments. The playbook, including the voices of more than two dozen institutions and more than 200 students, offers student-informed design strategies to create a more supportive physical environment for historically marginalized students.

Published in 2022, Dowling’s research project entitled Peripheral Vision: Planning and Designing Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Learning Environments – and its accompanying playbook – breaks down simple steps that institutions and designers can take to eliminate barriers to access and make existing and future spaces more welcoming and comfortable for a diversity of student populations. Dowling has written about her research and collaboration with students in numerous national publications and presented it widely. As the SCUP leadership notes, “The project has been far-reaching and impactful, not only for our SCUP constituency but many others who are committed to equitable and inclusive design.”

Dowling’s advocacy has extended to her local community and Richmond Public Schools. She lent her graphic design support to teachers in the Support Our Schools movement, actively contributing to raising awareness about the need for improved facility conditions and better teacher pay. Shannon’s dedication to fostering diversity and equity is evident through her volunteer work with Full STEAM Ahead, introducing middle school females to STEM professions, as well as her participation in numerous Career Fairs at local schools. Additionally, she has taken the initiative to lead camps and workshops, introducing children to the profession of architecture and inspiring the next generation of architects.

For her passionate service, Shannon Dowling, AIA, will be recognized with the Award for Distinguished Achievement at the Visions for Architecture event on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the Hippodrome Theatre in Richmond.