Want to integrate renewable energy into your next project but don’t know where to start? The Architect’s Primer on Renewable Energy, published Spring 2021, has just what you’re looking for. Whether it’s a clear summary of the benefits of renewable energy, an overview of different renewable technologies, an analysis of potential applications and storage options, or a summary of options for financing, this primer has you covered. Resources include guidance for choosing the right solution for your specific project and what to do when on-site renewable energy isn’t an option. The Architect’s Primer on Renewable Energy will help you see just how easy and affordable it is to make your project renewably powered.
Our recently formed Virginia Committee on the Environment (COTE) Chapter is here to help get the word out on sustainability-focused initiatives that you can get involved in as well as on resources that you can use to make your work better. Keep checking back here each month for more tidbits.
Interested in getting involved? Email Rhea George for an invitation to our next meeting.
We understand the dedication and effort required to study for and pass the ARE. Congratulations to the following member for passing their exams and gaining licensure. This is great news that thrills all of us and we are so proud to call you an architect!
Ms. Iroda Karimova, AIA (Hampton Roads)
Have you recently passed the ARE? Upgrade your membership to Architect using this AIA form. or send an email to your Member Services Director, Cathy Guske, cguske@aiava.org
As Architect for the University of Virginia, Alice Raucher is the symbolic custodian of Thomas Jefferson’s design legacy, directing the architecture, planning, and landscape design of the University’s Grounds. In addition to being the chief steward of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jefferson’s original college, Alice oversees a dynamic and expanding campus embedded in the City of Charlottesville and surrounded by Albemarle County, and navigates a complex and highly political landscape as a true collaborator and team builder. Alice heads an office of 15 professionals who take an integrated design approach to University projects. She and her team have responsibility over the University’s 2,700 acres and 18.5 million square feet, and influence its $3 billion capital budget. In her previous role as Senior Architect and Chair of the Design Steering Team at Yale University, Alice oversaw the largest expansion of the college in a generation, as well as the renovation of two of the most iconic masterpieces of modern architecture. At Yale, and now at UVA, Alice is a strong advocate for design excellence, accessibility, resilience, equity, and sustainability.
Alice J. Raucher, FAIA, AIA, LEED AP
As a tenure-track faculty member at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture, Alice shared her skill and love for the profession with a new generation of aspiring architects. She was appointed as Director of Syracuse’s Florence Program, where, in addition to her teaching load, she oversaw the school’s undergraduate, graduate, and pre-architecture programs. Alice served as editor of “Foglio” magazine, and was an organizer of the collaborative workshop “La Construzione della Continuita” between Syracuse and the Universita di Ferrara. In addition, she has lectured widely on topics ranging from urbanism to historic interiors. As an AIA member, Alice has served on award juries and contributed to regional and national conferences. She is also active in the Association of University Architects, where she presented her work to an international audience in 2019.
Alice has devoted a large portion of her thirty-four-year career to the practice of architecture, gaining responsibility while being entrusted with increasingly significant projects. As a young architect, Alice joined James Polshek’s New York office, where she oversaw the expansion of Carnegie Hall, a project she considers formative in her career. As a partner in Bell Larson Raucher Architects, Alice was cited in The New York Times article “The Delicate Matter of Passing the Torch” as the next generation carrying on the tradition of a great firm (McKim, Mead and White). Her appreciation for the craft of architecture, respect for her fellow practitioners, and desire to mentor young professionals have informed Alice’s supportive and collaborative approach to working as a University Architect.
Where did you go to college? I have a B.A. in Fine Art/Art History from Queens College, City University of New York, and an M.Arch. from Syracuse University
What does it take to be an architect? Passion and perseverance!
Was there an architect that particularly inspired you? Very difficult question to answer, and I would say that I am inspired, usually, by the work rather than by the person. I am inspired by the work of Eero Saarinen, Alvar Aalto, and Eliel Saarinen, especially.
What are you currently reading? Sadly, mostly my e-mails these days, but watching escapist tv and movies for the ten minutes before I fall asleep!
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? Another very difficult question to answer! One that ranks very highly is the “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner we hosted for our students who were studying abroad in Florence, Italy, thanks to Trattoria La Carabaccia. I’ll never forget the fileted roast turkey (“it’s not supposed to be boneless!”), and the sweet potato torta.
Why do you volunteer with AIA? The AIA connects me with peers, near and far, from varied backgrounds, experiences, and generations. It is an opportunity to share my experiences as well as learn from others.
April – May 2021 Strategic Council/Component monthly briefing: To better inform members of the work and activities of the AIA Strategic Council
Region: The Virginias Regional Representative: Donna Dunay, FAIA Contact info:ddunay@vt.edu
This has been an active spring with the Strategic Council with many initiatives that look to the future of the profession. We hope you find the following note informative. Please be in contact about any potential opportunities or concerns facing the future of the profession.
Why did so many people believe in Martin Luther King and support the Civil Rights Movement? Why did so many people resonate with Pope John Paul II’s words about the dignity of each person to forge solidarity and spark the fall of Communism? King’s speech that day in 1963 at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial was not a 10 point plan on how the Civil Rights Movement would work. John Paul II’s 32 sermons in nine days on his 1979 trip to Communist Poland did not focus on what needed to change. MLK and JP II inspired people to believe in their hearts why they should take action to pursue human rights by talking about what they believed in. MLK and JP II helped people see the incredible strength in numbers. Millions came to believe in why they did what they did and joined their causes.
The AIA Virginia Political Action Committee (PAC) is the primary tool Virginia Architects have to ensure our profession remains relevant and impactful for years to come. Why invest in the PAC? We all need an answer to that fundamental question before we open up our wallets. We believe:
Architects speak with a unified voice to support candidates who understand our profession, regardless of party affiliation, through the AIA Virginia PAC. When these candidates win, they bring that understanding to the General Assembly and into debates on new legislation.
Our PAC investments provide face-to-face opportunities to educate lawmakers about what we do. The General Assembly is comprised of members of varying backgrounds, professions, experiences, and cultures. Yet, they are called upon every day to make decisions that impact our profession and the built environment including procurement, liability, funding, zoning, transportation, preservation, taxation, licensing.
State lawmakers are caretakers of the built environment. They come from diverse backgrounds and careers. One might be a farmer, another an attorney, another a dentist.
Lawmakers need and want our advice. Architects are perfectly positioned to be the authoritative voice on all matters related to the quality of the built environment. If our voice is not at the table, lawmakers will get advice from others, who may, or may not support what is important to us.
The PAC supports all Virginia firms because it has established a solid legal framework for practicing architecture and is essential to preserving this framework so that it continues to benefit our profession in Virginia as a whole.
The PAC enables us to build relationships with other key influencers to elevate our profession. One such example, our relationship with the Governor’s Director of Appointments continues to facilitate the selection of Virginia Architects for Gubernatorial Appointments.
To ensure our voice remains strong, particularly in this election year, we need members like you to believe in the value of the PAC and support the cause. For only 10 cents a day, you can make a positive influence on the future of our profession. Please consider making an investment of $36.50 today. Visit aiavapac.org to learn more and make your investment. Participation at any level is the key, not the actual amount because there is considerable strength in numbers. Investing in the PAC is a relatively small individual step that collectively has a significant impact on our profession and the quality of the built environment.
Sean E. Reilly, AIA AIA Virginia 2021 President AIA Virginia PAC Board of Trustees Member
My mom has been a kindergarten educator for over 30 years, and she is amazing at it. She really is. In the big big world of education, she has found her zone by focusing on the nuances of early childhood development, while loving learning and teaching kids to keep loving how to learn. She’s a specialist through a career of lifelong curiosity shaped by her passion.
Michael Spory, Assoc. AIA
I have always been a little jealous of experts like her, the specialists I sit next to in the office who seem to find joy in burrowing deeply into something and becoming an absolute whiz. The woman who seems to know everything about customized Revit workflows, or the person who can recall code nuances and egress exceptions with shocking ease. BIM specialists, construction gurus, material specifiers, coding hackers–I wish I could be more like you. I admire folks with that deeply mined and cultivated knowledge–but also can get a little frustrated with myself in comparison.
As a curious and well-meaning generalist in the world of design, I aspire to bring that level of dedicated focus and passion that makes me a uniquely specialized designer. But I must confess that I get overwhelmed when I see just how much more I have to learn as an architect. One of the reasons I was originally drawn to architecture was because it really seems like you have to know something about just about everything–a career that can keep expanding without ever getting boring. Architects draw on history, art, sociology, math, economics, marketing, physics, politics…the list grows even longer as I think about it. We are generalists, but that broad knowledge base has to get down to nuts and bolts much more quickly that I anticipated. As a young designer, I have often felt overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite fine-grained details I still need to learn to get better at my job, even just to take my first licensing exam or figure out how to confidently document a drawing and spec for window flashing. In that vast ocean of skills, concepts, practices, and information that architects need to know–how do I find my zone, my own unique focus?
Unlike me, maybe you have known where you wanted to focus the minute you applied to design school, and have the drive to laser in on a specific portion of the field–energy modelling, material science, interior design. Maybe you stumbled on a passion and followed it down the rabbit hole–construction detailing, marketing pitches and presentations, modelmaking. Or maybe you are a collage of experiences and curiosities–some Photoshop and aesthetic skills, perhaps a knack for communication or writing, a love of solving problems, a bit of this and that in terms of project experience. Not an empty slate, nor a Swiss army knife, nor a surgical scalpel. In our big wide world of architecture, how do we find our zone?
My mom-the-kindergarten-teacher has been honing her teaching craft for a long time. My first boss could sketch squiggly diagrams that seemed easy until I realized they were drawn at precise scales and informed by years of practical knowledge. My current coworkers are whizzes at things I still struggle with–and I am grateful and humbled by each of them. As we grow as design professionals, these experiences and passions hopefully start to crystallize, leading us to lifelong curiosity and learning about the expanding boundaries of design. I am still stumbling on, discovering that the loose threads of my experiences stitch together into something resembling the expertise of a specialist.
Finding your zone is a continuing process, sometimes halting, occasionally clear, and hopefully full of the good kind of surprises that keep us emerging professionals curious about where we can direct our unique voices and talents in our careers. Our offices and communities across Virginia–along with ourselves–will bloom when that can happen.
In solidarity and action, Michael Spory, Associate AIA spory@vmdo.com
We are always excited to welcome new members to Virginia. The following members recently joined the ranks of AIA Virginia.
New Architect Members
Adam P. Compton, AIA (Northern Virginia) Mikhail M. Payson, AIA (Northern Virginia)
New Associate Members
Carlos T. Colunga, Associate AIA (Northern Virginia) Alvia Howard, Associate AIA (Northern Virginia) Beatrice D. Moulin, Associate AIA (Northern Virginia) Jasmine B. Cornileus, Associate AIA (Northern Virginia) Ana M. Jimenez, International Associate AIA (Northern Virginia)
AIA Virginia Allied Members
Karl Feucht, Market Development Manager, Benjamin Obdyke, Inc.
We understand the dedication and effort required to study for and pass the ARE. Congratulations to the following members for passing their exams and gaining licensure. This is great news that thrills all of us and we are so proud to call you architects!
Elizabeth R. Parry, AIA (Northern Virginia) Abi E. Kallushi, AIA (Northern Virginia) Carolyn M. O’Toole, AIA (Northern Virginia) Elizabeth A. Diseati, AIA (Northern Virginia)
Have you recently passed the ARE? Upgrade your membership to Architect using this AIA form. or send an email to your Member Services Director, Cathy Guske, cguske@aiava.org
