PAC Pin Design Contest Winner

Last fall, AIA Virginia’s Government Advocacy Advisory Council and the PAC Board of Trustees engaged the membership in the creation of an updated PAC pin.

Historically, members who invest in AIA Virginia’s Political Action Committee (PAC) have received a lapel pin that can be worn to demonstrate his/her support of our legislative efforts. The existing pin had become dated as it used the organization’s past name of VSAIA (Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects).

We were pleased to announce at Architecture Exchange East last November that Allison Ewing, AIA, LEED AP, Founder & Partner at Hays + Ewing Design Studio has won this design contest and her pin design is now ready to be worn by AIA Virginia members statewide who give to the AIA Virginia PAC.

Join these donors and support the candidates who understand the architecture profession and receive the new PAC pin.


About Allison
As an architect and leader, Allison Ewing has advanced sustainability through design, implementation, and advocacy – both within and beyond the architectural profession — by modeling change in the building industry with solutions both visionary and practical. Working on commercial, institutional, residential, and mixed-use projects at both large- and small-scale, Allison Ewing’s architectural experience spans twenty-five years and three continents. Ms. Ewing’s work seeks transformation – of site, of workplace, of living environment. She pursues design excellence at all scales, from site to building to detail – an approach which encompasses meeting client’s goals while arriving at elegant solutions that embody sustainable best practices.

Prior to forming her own firm HEDS with partner Chris Hays, Ms. Ewing was Partner at William McDonough + Partners, and design associate at the Italian firm of Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Her work experience also includes the offices of Cesar Pelli & Associates and Mitchell Giurgola Architects.

Ms. Ewing has been a speaker at a number of national and international events related to sustainable design and her work has been published in EcoHome, USA Weekend, Dwell, Custom, and the Washington Post Home. She has received many design awards, including “Custom Home of the Year Award” from Custom Home Magazine. The Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center of Virginia received the top Virginia AIA award in 2018.

Ms. Ewing received her Masters in Architecture from Yale University Graduate School of Architecture. She was the recipient of a Monbusho Fellowship to Japan where she studied Japanese housing.

“Allison Ewing ranks high among the first-generation of architects leading our industry toward sustainability over the past 30 years, and her name, work, voice, and lasting influence in this crucial field stand alongside those of visionary peers like William McDonough, Ed Mazria, Bob Berkebile, and Mary Ann Lazarus.” – Rick Schwolksy, Senior Fellow, Architecture 2030

Federal Architecture Call to Action

The AIA is aware (and has been actively addressing this) that there is a draft executive order circulating for consideration by White House officials that would officially designate “classical” architecture as the preferred style for the following building types: federal courthouses, all federal public buildings in the Capital region, and all other federal public buildings whose cost exceed $50 million in modern dollars. The AIA strongly and unequivocally opposes this change in policy to promote any style of architecture over another for these types of federal buildings across the country. 

The draft executive order defines “classical architectural style” to mean architectural features derived from classical Greek and Roman architecture. There are some allowances for “traditional architectural style” which is defined to mean classical architecture along with Gothic, Romanesque, and Spanish colonial. The draft executive order specifically prohibits the use of Brutalist architecture or its derivatives.

Except for Brutalism, there is some language in the draft executive order that would allow for other architectural styles to be used in cases where it could be conclusively proven that a different style is necessary. However, the high bar required to satisfy the process described within the executive order would all but restrict the ability to design the federal buildings under this order in anything but the preferred style. The process would include a personal written justification from the Administrator, which cannot be delegated to staff, and which is still subject to review by the White House.

The AIA strongly condemns the move to enforce a top-down directive on architectural style. All architectural styles have value and all communities have the right to weigh in on the government buildings meant to serve them.

The AIA has been communicating with White House staff on this issue. We urge you to add your voice to reiterate our fervent belief that design decisions should be left to the designer and the community, not bureaucrats in Washington, DC. Click here to email President Trump.

2020 Political Outlook in Virginia

Overview

Politically, it is a new day in Virginia.  What once seemed to be a doomed Democratic party is now in control of both the legislative and executive branches of government.  Not so long ago, the three elected statewide offices were getting pummeled with negative national press regarding “black-face” scandals with the Governor and Attorney General and sexual assault allegations against the Lieutenant Governor. There was a moment where prominent Democrats in Virginia and in Congress were urging for the resignation of Governor Ralph Northam.  It appears he has weathered the “storm” and in fact can make the case to be one of the most consequential Governors that Virginia has seen.

Now, Democrats control the Senate by a count of 21 to 19 and the House 55 to 45.  This is the first time Democrats controlled the state government in nearly 30 years. Speaking of firsts, the 2020 General Assembly will welcome the first female Speaker of the House in the 401-year history of the legislative body. In addition, this is also the most diverse legislature ever with a record number of women and minorities to hold a seat.  It should be noted that this diversity includes the first female Muslim legislator, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi and the first African-American/first woman Majority Leader, Del. Charniele Herring.

Type of Legislation to Expect

Democrats have many “pent-up” demands that will be presented in the General Assembly this year now that they are in control.  Many predict that passing the Equal Rights Amendment will be the first order of business.  Next, expect to see minimum wage raised, the ushering in of gun safety measures, and legislation that prohibits discrimination against underrepresented groups.  For architects, we will see action on affordable housing, transportation, broad-band expansion, and mitigating a changing climate.  We will have many opportunities to engage and shape the policy that impacts our communities.

AIA Virginia’s Legislative Priorities

AIA Virginia works in partnership with the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia during each General Assembly for our advocacy efforts.   This year, we have two major goals:  to eliminate the “duty to defend” language in pubic project indemnification contract clauses and to work with the Associated General Contractors of Virginia to get a statute of limitations in the law for the work we perform on state projects.  Our professional liability insurance will not defend other parties, thus posing substantial risk to our members who do public work.  In addition, the locality’s attorneys typically will not strike this clause as architects and engineers are viewed as a commodity (if firm A doesn’t sign this, we will just go to firm B).  Getting a statute of limitations on the books will put a finite cap on how long you are liable for your design work on all state projects, including public universities.

In addition to these priorities, we are advocating and monitoring bills in the arenas of school safety, resilience, sustainability, and housing access affordability.

Duty to Defend – AIA/ACEC filed bill

SB 658Surovell – Contracts with design professionals; provisions requiring a duty to defend void.

Statute of Limitations – AGC filed bill with language from AIA/ACEC

HB 1300Hurst – Virginia Public Procurement Act; statute of limitations on actions on construction contracts.

Please be on the lookout for weekly General Assembly updates on the bills we are actively engaging and monitoring beginning the week of January 17.

Also, please support our advocacy efforts by investing in our PAC.  We can’t do the great work we are doing without your support.

Important Dates of the General Assembly

  • January 8 – General Assembly session convenes
  • January 17 – Final date members can submit any legislation for introduction
  • February 11 – Bill crossover
  • March 7 – Sine die
  • April 15 – Reconvene session

AIA Hampton Roads Snatches the “Rumble in the Jungle” Victory

At Architecture Exchange East, AIA Hampton Roads was crowned the winner of the second annual “Rumble in the Jungle.” The trophy was presented during the conference’s General Session by Delegate Lamont Bagby who serves as the Chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. As the winner, AIA Hampton Roads will receive $1,000 from AIA Virginia for use during its 2020 Architecture Week to enhance its public outreach efforts.

AIA Hampton Roads had 100% investment participation from its Board of Directors, approximately 5% of its total membership invested [the 2017 statewide participation rate was roughly 2%], and the average contribution per member out of total component membership of 384 individuals was $15.99.

The AIA Virginia PAC Award looks to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component who supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The Award will be presented at Architecture Exchange East to the local component’s Board of Directors who will accept the award on behalf of its respective membership. The Award criteria is based on a point total calculation based on three areas: local component Board participation, percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.

Invest at www.aiavapac.org

AIA Virginia is thankful for the following 2019 PAC Investors:

$5,000 to $9,999
Architecture, Incorporated

$2,500 to $4,999
Hanbury

$1,000 to $2,499
Glave & Holmes Architecture
Moseley Architects
Quinn Evans Architects
VIA Design Architects
Kenney Payne, AIA

$500 to $999
LeMay Erickson Willcox Architects
MG2 Corporation
William T. Brown, AIA
Robert Comet, AIA

$200-$499
Anonymous
R. Corey Clayborne, AIA
Theresa del Ninno, AIA
David King, AIA
Gregory Powe, AIA
Elisabeth Sloan, AIA
Nick Vlattas, FAIA
Lou Wolf, AIA
Dan Zimmerman, AIA

$100-$199
Anonymous
Husain Alam, AIA
Ron Anderson of Nello Wall Systems
Jim Boyd, AIA
Carolyn Rickard-Brideau, AIA
Scott Campbell, AIA
Andrew Cheng, AIA
Tim Colley, AIA
Karen Conkey, AIA
Robert Dunay, FAIA
Robert Easter, AIA
Rebecca Edmunds, AIA
Thomas Ellis, AIA
Eliza Engle, AIA
Lynden Garland, AIA
Genevieve Keller
Thomas Kerns, FAIA
Ed Gillikin, AIA
Eric Keplinger, AIA
Jeanne LeFever, AIA
Jeremy Maloney, AIA
Beth Reader, FAIA
Sean Reilly, AIA
Robert Reis, AIA
J. Mitchell Rowland, III, AIA
James Scruggs, AIA
Charles Todd, AIA
Chris Venable, AIA

Up to $99
Anonymous (10)
Krystal Anderson, AIA
Sam Bowling, AIA
Scott Boyce, AIA
Debbie Burns, Hon. AIA
John Burns, FAIA
Mickey Chapa, AIA
Phoebe Crisman, AIA
April Drake, AIA
Jori Erdman, AIA
Keesha Ezell
Braden Field, AIA
Rhea George, Hon. AIA VA
Jody Lahendro, FAIA
Spencer Lepler, AIA
Nathaniel McCormick, AIA
Robert McGinnis, FASLA
Andrew McKinley, AIA
T.J. Meehan, AIA
Shawn Mulligan, AIA
Kathryn Prigmore, FAIA
Gareth Ratti, AIA
Susan Reed, AIA
Amanda Schlichting, AIA
Damian Seitz, AIA
Marc Treon, AIA
Chris Warren, Assoc. AIA
Ed Weaver, AIA
Jean Webster, AIA
Rob Winstead, AIA
Fred Wolf, AIA

ACE Virginia Joint Owner Forum Recap with Southwestern Virginia Local Governments

ACE is a joint venture of the American Institute of Architects, Associated General Contractors, and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia, to educate and promote best practices of the design and construction industry. In 2018, its inaugural year, ACE held three collaborative forums that connected the design and construction professions with those that hire them. What resulted was an improved understanding of what makes projects successful from the perspective of all stakeholders, an intimate forum for business development, and an opportunity to learn about future projects.

On November 13th, ACE had its fourth and final Joint Owner Forum of the year in Roanoke. This year, we have engaged various local governments from around the Commonwealth. This session hosted stakeholders and decision-makers from the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County, Radford City Schools, and the Town of Blacksburg.

The panel consisted of the following participants:

Nell Boyle, LEED AP BD+C – Sustainability/Outreach Coordinator [City of Roanoke]
Randy Formica, PE – Director of Engineering and GIS [Town of Blacksburg]
Robert Graham – Superintendent [Radford City Schools]
Terry Kemp – Architect I [City of Roanoke]
Tarek Moneir – Acting Director of Development Services [Roanoke County]
Morgan Yates, CBO – Building Commissioner [Roanoke County]

Below is a snapshot of the key points discussed:

Upcoming Projects

  • Utility, water/wastewater and infrastructure projects in the Town of Blacksburg
  • Radford City Schools has aging buildings and facilities, estimated $34-$36M needed for all capital improvements for schools
  • Roanoke County is focused on transportation (419 corridor), stormwater and stream restorations. The County recently installed a new permitting system to facilitate the design and construction process
  • The City of Roanoke will have a bridge renovation, two new fire stations upcoming, bus transfer station, and begin the planning of an “Innovation Corridor” to connect to Virginia Tech facilities

Procurement Methods

  • Annual services contracts are utilized frequently in this region by municipalities
  • The PPEA process has been used for a police department, library, safety center, parking garage, and school projects. It appears that the Town of Blacksburg and Roanoke County have used this project delivery method most frequently
  • CM-at-Risk has not been used by any entity yet

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

  • The City of Roanoke has made the most progress in terms of documentation and benchmarking of sustainability. By the end of 2024, its goal is to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 12.5% for municipality buildings and 10% for other community structures. These are new goals as the City has continually been decreasing GHG emissions over the recent years. The City tracks energy usage in all facilities.
  • The City of Roanoke’s standard is to design and build to LEED Certification
  • Roanoke City Schools will be engaging in a large ESCO contract soon
  • Radford City Schools is looking for opportunities to save money with utilities. Honeywell recently did a study to show building energy inefficiencies which indicated that the City spends about $50k per month in utilities.
  • The Town of Blacksburg has a Sustainability Manager. All new buildings are expected to be designed to LEED Silver

Regional Issues

  • Transportation: Valley Metro Service – extending service between the City and County
  • Balancing bicycle/pedestrian/automobile networks
  • Affordable housing and Senior living units
  • Urging of the General Assembly to have funding reach rural Virginia
  • 40%-50% increase in wages to keep a good labor force in construction; increasing minimum wage may compound this issue
  • It is difficult to project escalation in capital programs budgeting. Some projects have been bid two to three times because of the increase in construction costs

Best Practices for Success

  • Responsiveness
  • Demonstrating control of the schedule
  • Remember that you are an extension of our staff
  • Come to an interview and show that you have put some thought into the design challenge
  • Prove your ability to allow collaboration and engagement, especially with the community
  • Call our locality the RIGHT name
  • When the project is complete – come back and check on it
  • Accountability, Communications, and Trust (ACT)
  • Get to the point in your RFP proposal (BLUF – Bottom Line Up Front)
  • Customer service and develop effective ways of communication
  • Ask for a debrief if you don’t get the project
  • It can be helpful if the A/E is able to share projected energy savings from preliminary energy models during the RFP and interview stage.

Our Joint Owner Forum series will continue in 2020 so please stay tuned!

PAC Competition Update

 “Rumble in the Jungle” PAC Competition Closes October 31

  1. AIA Hampton Roads – 80 points
  2. AIA Central Virginia – 70 points
  3. AIA Richmond – 40 points
  4. AIA Northern Virginia – 20 points
  5. AIA Blue Ridge – 0 points

The winner receives $1,000 for its use for Architecture Week 2020.

Invest at www.aiavapac.org

Below outlines point allocations:

  1. Local component Board participation
    1. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest into the AIA Virginia PAC?
      1. Yes = 20 points
      2. No = 0 points
  2. Percentage of local component’s members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC
    1. Component with highest % = 40 points
      1. Component with second-highest % = 20 points
      2. Component with third highest % = 10 points
  3. Average investment per member from the total local component membership
    1. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points
    2. Component with second-highest average investment/member = 30 points
    3. Component with third-highest average investment/member = 20 points
    4. Component with fourth-highest average investment/member = 10 points
    5. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points

The scoring will be closed on October 31, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

The AIA Virginia PAC Award looks to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component who supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The Award will be presented at Architecture Exchange East to the local component’s Board of Directors who will accept the award on behalf of the its respective membership. The Award criteria is based on a point total calculation based on three areas: local component Board participation, percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.

AIA Virginia is thankful for the following 2019 PAC Investors:

$5,000 to $9,999

Architecture, Incorporated

$2,500 to $4,999

Hanbury

$1,000 to $2,499

Glave & Holmes Architecture
Quinn Evans Architects
Kenney Payne, AIA

$500 to $999

LeMay Erickson Willcox Architects
MG2 Corporation
William T. Brown, AIA
Robert Comet, AIA

$200-$499

Anonymous
R. Corey Clayborne, AIA
Theresa del Ninno, AIA
David King, AIA
Elisabeth Sloan, AIA
Nick Vlattas, FAIA
Lou Wolf, AIA
Dan Zimmerman, AIA

$100-$199

Anonymous
Husain Alam, AIA
Ron Anderson of Nello Wall Systems
Jim Boyd, AIA
Scott Campbell, AIA
Andrew Cheng, AIA
Tim Colley, AIA
Karen Conkey, AIA
Robert Dunay, FAIA
Robert Easter, AIA
Rebecca Edmunds, AIA
Thomas Ellis, AIA
Eliza Engle, AIA
Lynden Garland, AIA
Genevieve Keller
Thomas Kerns, FAIA
Ed Gillikin, AIA
Eric Keplinger, AIA 
Jeanne LeFever, AIA
Jeremy Maloney, AIA
Gregory Powe, AIA
Beth Reader, FAIA
Sean Reilly, AIA
Robert Reis, AIA
J. Mitchell Rowland, III, AIA
James Scruggs, AIA
Charles Todd, AIA
Chris Venable, AIA

Up to $99

Anonymous (8)
Krystal Anderson, AIA
Sam Bowling, AIA
Scott Boyce, AIA
John Burns, FAIA
Mickey Chapa, AIA
April Drake, AIA
Jori Erdman, AIA
Keesha Ezell
Braden Field, AIA
Rhea George, Hon. AIA VA
Jody Lahendro, FAIA
Spencer Lepler, AIA
Robert McGinnis, FASLA
Andrew McKinley, AIA
T.J. Meehan, AIA
Shawn Mulligan, AIA
Kathryn Prigmore, FAIA
Gareth Ratti, AIA
Susan Reed, AIA
Amanda Schlichting, AIA
Damian Seitz, AIA
Marc Treon, AIA
Chris Warren, Assoc. AIA
Ed Weaver, AIA
Jean Webster, AIA
Rob Winstead, AIA
Fred Wolf, AIA

Update on Unlimited Statute of Limitations Meeting

For the past two years, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and Associated General Contractors (AGC) have introduced a bill in the General Assembly to provide a statute of limitations (SOL) clause for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Although the proposals have not passed, the General Assembly directed the Department of General Services (DGS) via the 2019 Appropriation Act, to engage with industry stakeholders on this issue.

In August, a survey was sent out to 1,558 stakeholders in which 507 responses were received. The results of the survey were discussed on October 3 with industry representatives.

The following key points were presented:

  • 58% of respondents were not aware that the Commonwealth of Virginia does not have a SOL regarding construction and professional services contracts
  • 53% of respondents were from the A/E industry, 27% were from the construction industry, and the remaining responses were from attorneys, surety companies, state government/higher education stakeholders, and local governments
  • Most professional services claims come within less than a year after construction completion. By the sixth year, data seems to indicate that claims are non-existent to minimal on professional services
  • Most claims on construction services come between the fourth and sixth year, however, the data shows that significant claims can come at the 10-year mark and beyond

AIA Virginia and ACEC Virginia had several practitioners that spoke to this issue in the meeting.

Our thanks to Donald Booth, AIA, Jim Lowe, Esq., Kathy Blanchard, and Dave Albo (our lobbyist) for providing comments on this issue.

The key points from speakers were as follows:

  • A/E firms design to the standards of the time. If a firm designed a project in 1979, then it was designed to the standards in place at that time – which would be much different than the standards of today
  • If the Commonwealth of Virginia has an unlimited SOL, then practitioners could be at a disadvantage with procuring professional liability insurance for the sole reason of having state agency clients
  • Small businesses are directly affected since they are often sub-consultants and would be subject to the same unlimited SOL terms with the Commonwealth of Virginia as the prime contract holder
  • Claims are often tied to confidentiality agreements which limits data sharing
  • Electronic storage of information changes over time – long term storage will be unreliable as technology changes
  • Claims to A/E’s usually cease after 3-4 years
  • A/E professional liability insurance is claims-based. This means the practitioner has to use the policy in place at the time of the claim regardless of when the project was completed
  • The industry must have certainty in order to manage risk

DGS asked all presenters what the SOL duration should be. The answer was that every firm developed a policy for record retention. The industry standard is usually five to seven years, although firms may decide to maintain records for up to 10 years.

DGS indicated that the final determination was going to be a number that brought a “little pain” to both sides. They will review all of the comments and provide a report to the General Assembly in December.

ACE Virginia Joint Owner Forum Recap with Northern Virginia Local Governments

ACE is a joint venture of the American Institute of Architects, Associated General Contractors, and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia, to educate and promote best practices of the design and construction industry. In 2018, its inaugural year, ACE held three collaborative forums that connected the design and construction professions with those that hire them. What resulted was an improved understanding of what makes projects successful from the perspective of all stakeholders, an intimate forum for business development, and an opportunity to learn about future projects.

On September 24th, ACE had its third Joint Owner Forum of 2019, sixth overall, in Arlington. This year, we have engaged various local governments from around the Commonwealth. This forum hosted stakeholders and decision-makers from the City of Alexandria, Arlington Public Schools, and the Counties of Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun.

The panel consisted of the following participants:

Jeff Chambers, AIA – Director of Design & Construction [Arlington Public Schools]
Lou Ann Dorrier, RA – County Architect and Division Chief [Prince William County]
Patti Innocenti, CPPO – Deputy Director of Purchasing & Supply [Fairfax County]
Jeremy McPike – Director of General Services [City of Alexandria]
Cheryl Middleton, CPPB – Division Manager of Procurement [Loudoun]

Below is a snapshot of the key points discussed:

Project Delivery Methods:

  • Design-Bid-Build is still the most frequently used method
  • Arlington Public Schools use CM-at-Risk for projects over $10M
  • PPEA and PPTA are used in specific circumstances such as transportation projects and parking garages
  • City of Alexandria uses all methods and makes its selection based on risk mitigation
  • Job Order Contracting is used for expeditious results are required on small projects
  • Prince William County has adopted the habit of soliciting pre-planning studies before releasing RFPs for large projects. The studies help to fine-tune the program and budget for the CIP

How to Get Work in Each Locality:

  • “We don’t interview firms, we interview people” – they want to get to know the team members who are going to work on the project. Don’t bait and switch
  • The resumes of the individuals is equally, if not more, important than the firm experience
  • Establish your reputation through successful completion of small projects
  • Volunteer in their community every now and then
  • Similar projects mean more than your firm’s proximity to the locality
  • Know the issues involving the community such as zoning, historical issues, sensitivities, etc.
  • You better proofread your proposal
  • Size of firm does not matter – in fact – sometimes the best customer service comes from small firms
  • References are checked. Make sure your references know that they are being used as references
  • In a project interview, be prepared to explain how the project will still be successful if a key player leaves the firm
  • Organize your RFP response to match the structure of the RFP
  • RFP language is being revised to encourage new firms to pursue projects in the respective localities
  • Call it out if an individual gained the relevant experience at another firm

Design and Construction Quality

  • “Why are you delegating so much design?”

This conversation progressed into the Owner’s concerns about losing control of product quality and the Design + Construction industry voiced concerns about increasingly compressed project schedules. Our industry felt that they were often being asked to do the impossible – significantly reduced schedules and expectations of greater quality. It concluded with the request from Owners for us to share if the proposed schedule is unobtainable during the RFP phase.

  • The design industry suggested holding “pre-qualifications” meetings before advertising large projects. This would be an opportunity to learn more about the project’s intimate details which may result in greater value received by the Owners. This thought was embraced by all.

Sustainability

  • Designing to LEED Silver seemed to be the baseline standard. The locality may or may not pursue actual certification.
  • Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing structures are being explored and adopted
  • Net-zero buildings are a reality – Arlington Public Schools has two
  • Fairfax has invested in the creation of an Energy + Efficiency Department
  • Commissioning is just as important as the upfront sustainability project decisions

The next forum will take place on Wednesday, November 13 in Roanoke with Southwest Virginia area local governments. Register today>>

PAC Competition Update

One Month to go in the “Rumble in the Jungle” PAC Competition – AIA Hampton Roads is still holding on.

  1. AIA Hampton Roads – 80 points
  2. AIA Central Virginia – 70 points
  3. AIA Richmond – 40 points
  4. AIA Northern Virginia – 20 points
  5. AIA Blue Ridge – 0 points

The winner receives $1,000 for its use for Architecture Week 2020.

Invest at www.aiavapac.org

Below outlines point allocations:

  1. Local component Board participation
    1. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest into the AIA Virginia PAC?
      1. Yes = 20 points
      2. No = 0 points
  2. Percentage of local component’s members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC
    1. Component with highest % = 40 points
      1. Component with second-highest % = 20 points
      2. Component with third highest % = 10 points
  3. Average investment per member from the total local component membership
    1. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points
    2. Component with second-highest average investment/member = 30 points
    3. Component with third-highest average investment/member = 20 points
    4. Component with fourth-highest average investment/member = 10 points
    5. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points

The scoring will be closed on October 31, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

The AIA Virginia PAC Award looks to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component who supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The Award will be presented at Architecture Exchange East to the local component’s Board of Directors who will accept the award on behalf of the its respective membership. The Award criteria is based on a point total calculation based on three areas: local component Board participation, percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.

AIA Virginia is thankful for the following 2019 PAC Investors:

$5,000 to $9,999
Architecture, Incorporated

$2,500 to $4,999
Hanbury

$1,000 to $2,499
Glave & Holmes Architecture
Quinn Evans Architects
Kenney Payne, AIA

$500 to $999
LeMay Erickson Willcox Architects
MG2 Corporation
William T. Brown, AIA
Robert Comet, AIA

$200-$499
Anonymous
R. Corey Clayborne, AIA
Theresa del Ninno, AIA
Elisabeth Sloan, AIA
Nick Vlattas, FAIA
Lou Wolf, AIA
Dan Zimmerman, AIA

$100-$199
Anonymous
Husain Alam, AIA
Ron Anderson of Nello Wall Systems
Jim Boyd, AIA
Scott Campbell, AIA
Tim Colley, AIA
Karen Conkey, AIA
Robert Dunay, FAIA
Robert Easter, AIA
Rebecca Edmunds, AIA OBO r4 llc
Thomas Ellis, AIA
Eliza Engle, AIA
Lynden Garland, AIA
Genevieve Keller
Thomas Kerns, FAIA
Ed Gillikin, AIA
Eric Keplinger, AIA
Jeanne LeFever, AIA
Jeremy Maloney, AIA
Gregory Powe, AIA
Beth Reader, FAIA
Sean Reilly, AIA
Robert Reis, AIA
J. Mitchell Rowland, III, AIA
James Scruggs, AIA
Chris Venable, AIA

Up to $99
Anonymous (8)
Krystal Anderson, AIA
Sam Bowling, AIA
Scott Boyce, AIA
John Burns, FAIA
Mickey Chapa, AIA
April Drake, AIA
Jori Erdman, AIA
Keesha Ezell
Rhea George, Hon. AIA VA
Jody Lahendro, FAIA
Spencer Lepler, AIA
Robert McGinnis, FASLA
Andrew McKinley, AIA
T.J. Meehan, AIA
Shawn Mulligan, AIA
Kathryn Prigmore, FAIA
Gareth Ratti, AIA
Susan Reed, AIA
Amanda Schlichting, AIA
Damian Seitz, AIA
Marc Treon, AIA
Chris Warren, Assoc. AIA
Jean Webster, AIA
Rob Winstead, AIA
Fred Wolf, AIA

AIA Virginia Hosts First Community Dinner

Last month, we announced that AIA Virginia would be hosting its first Community Dinner in Richmond. Each dinner, which will take place in cities around the Virginia, is intended to forge relationships between architects and community-influencers by bringing them together over dinner for conversations around community. Plans are under way to host one in the Hampton Roads region before the end of the year.

Our first Community Dinner took place on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019 at the home of Burt Pinnock, FAIA. Throughout dinner, everyone shared their individual perspective on the meaning of community. We discussed what made us proud of our community and what challenges needed to be overcome.

When our host asked how the designers at the table could be a resource to the community, a truly meaningful conversation took place. Below are a few quotes and images from the evening.

“We need to provide safe, affordable and dignified housing for all of our citizens.”

“Just give me ONE really good building to set the tone.”

“Design matters. You have to make people feel good about where they live. When they feel proud of where they live, it changes their behavior. When I look at Jeff Davis, I see a blank canvas. Right now, there is crime, prostitution. But, if people felt uncomfortable tossing their bottles out their window, and people could take pride in the neighborhood, you would reduce crime. Build a walkable neighborhood. And, it can’t be built in tax credits – we need to have a tax base.”

“We have great opportunity zones. Tell us where to start.”

“It’s time for Richmond to make its own place.”

“How do we make sure that Richmond’s unique character is not an impediment to growth, density, and great communities for our citizens?”

“We haven’t really had a vision-setting, goal-focused plan. You can help shape that plan.”

 

Community members in attendance were

Lincoln Saunders, Mayor’s Chief of Staff, City of Richmond

Rich Sliwosk, Assoc. VP, VCU Facilities Management

Hon. Andreas Addison, Richmond City Council, First District

William Friday, Deputy Chief of Police, City of Richmond

Leonard Sledge, Director, City of Richmond Economic Development

Mark Olinger, Director of Planning and Development Review, City of Richmond

Bernard Rogers, Vice President of Real Estate Development, Better Housing Coalition

Cindy Davis, Deputy Director, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

Rhea George, Managing Director, AIA Virginia

Architects in attendance were:

Burt Pinnock, FAIA, Chairman, Baskervill

Nick Cooper, AIA, Vice President, HKS, Inc.

Krystal Anderson, AIA, Architect, Gresham Smith

Andrew Moore, AIA, Partner, Glave and Holmes Architecture

Charles Piper, AIA, Managing Director, Quinn Evans Architects

Patrick Thompson, Assoc. AIA, Associate, Commonwealth Architects

Ed Gillikin, AIA, Principal, KOP Architects

Lou Wolf, AIA, Principal, SMBW Architects

Corey Clayborne, AIA, MBA, Executive Vice President, AIA Virginia