Premises | Spring 2013

PREMISES SPRING 2013 | AIA Rhode Island Newsletter

AEER TF-7 ASSESSING THE DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE SANDY p.6

In this issue

From the President p.3 In Memoriam p.2 William D. Warner, FAIA p.5 CRAN Symposium p.9

In the News p.4 EPC Update p.11

In Memory of William D. Warner, FAIA Please save the date and join AIAri in recognizing the late

PREMISES WINTER 2013

William D. Warner, FAIA at a memorial reception at the

RISD Auditorium followed by a special

WaterFire tribute to our longtime member.

Friday, May 31, 2013

EDITOR Vada Seccareccia, Assoc. AIA CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mary Brewster, AIA Sara Kudra, Assoc. AIA Jeffrey A. Hatcher, AIA Michael Warner, AIA AIAri COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE Melissa Hutchinson, AIA Timothy Kennedy, AIA Vada Seccareccia, Assoc. AIA Maia Small, AIA Christine Malecki West, AIA Jennifer Zolkos DESIGN Vada Seccareccia, Assoc. AIA PRINTER Allegra Print & Imaging Providence, RI

From Friends of the Lucas Family Lorenzo Lucas passed away unexpectedly on June 19, 2012 while sailing in the Cox Series Regatta.

He was a loving husband to Elaina, devoted father to Julian and Olivia, an accomplished architect, and an alumnus of Rhode Island School of Design. The tremendous outpouring of emotional support from their friends, as well as classmates of Julian and Olivia, the Barrington Yacht Club, Lorenzo’s professional associations, and the community at large has been extraordinary.

Many wonderful friends have asked how they can help to support Lorenzo’s dreams for his children. In order to benefit his children, the Olivia and Julian Lucas Trust has been established.

As many of you are aware, Julian embarks on his freshman year at Assumption College this fall while Olivia begins her junior year at Barrington High School, with the intention of attending college in two years.

Anyone who wishes to donate to this fund may send their non-tax deductible contribution made payable to The Olivia and Julian Lucas Trust, and mailed to: Hall Capital Management Company Attn: Robert Hall 26 Bosworth Street, Suite 4 Barrington, RI 02806 On behalf of Elaina, Julian, and Olivia, thank you all so very much for your thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt support throughout these very difficult days.

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PREMISES is published twice per year by AIAri. PREMISES is written and produced

by AIAri members and distributed to all AIAri members, allied members, and anyone else interested in the built environment in Rhode Island. An electronic version of PREMISES can be found at www.aia-ri.org. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, contact premises@aia-ri.org.

We welcome letters to the editor, constructive criticism, and general comments. If you would like to submit material for publication, please forward it to premises@aia-ri.org before April 30, 2012. We accept anything that can be reproduced on a flat piece of paper.

Submissions may be edited for content, length, or any other reason the editor deems appropriate.

Cover photographs by Jeffrey A. Hatcher, AIA.

2012 Perspective on the Year AIAri Executive Committee President Douglas Kallfelz, AIA President-Elect Stephanie Zurek, AIA Secretary Timothy Kennedy, AIA Treasurer Derek Bradford, AIA Vice President Aimee Goodwin Lombardo, AIA Directors James Barnes, AIA Kyle Bamrick, AIA Kristi Gelnett, AIA Jeremy Lake, AIA Patrick Quinlan, AIA Christen Robbins, AIA Stephen White, AIA Emerging Professionals Director Vada Seccareccia, Assoc. AIA Past-President Michael Warner, AIA Executive Director Jennifer Zolkos AIA/National Directors - New England Sho Ping Chin, AIA Mohamad Farzan, RIBA, AIA

As I draft this final message to the membership, I found that my list of annual goals, activities, and accomplishments provided ample material for which to proclaim that 2012 was another great year for AIAri! We stand poised to meet this year’s initiatives with both new and seasoned board members. Thanks to all who help our chapter remain a vital force in shaping the role of architecture throughout Rhode Island. I want to extend a special thanks to outgoing Past President Christine Malecki West, AIA, and Director Megan Moynihan, AIA, for their years of service and their continued contributions to our chapter, and to welcome Douglas Kallfelz, AIA, as President.

We had an exciting year of programs, and I believe that it was no coincidence that the board members of the Boston Society of Architect came to Providence in search of inspiration on their retreat last year. We are fortunate to attract our professional neighbors, and we were glad to host an evening event with them at the Window on Architecture.

AIAri’s home, the Window on Architecture in downtown Providence, is a way for our chapter to showcase the work of members, and it gives us the opportunity to reach out to the public through our participation in Gallery Night. In October, the Brewster Thornton Group exhibited their work on the Barrington project for This Old House. Preceded by an on-site tour on an earlier date, the night offered continuous running episodes of the show and stunning presentation graphics of the project. As we continue Gallery Night this year, we hope to reach even more members of the community, and we invite all of you to contact the board if you would like to show your work.

Statewide, we have remained focused on the most pressing needs and triumphs of our profession and the importance of the work we do. We were recently reminded of this by forces beyond our control. Hurricane Sandy brought to the forefront the importance of architects, whether we are designing for coastal locations or assisting the in the assessment of damage after a disaster, as the AEER TF-7 did in the wake of the storm.

Other activities warranting special acknowledgement include the 4th CANstruction-Rhode Island to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, which continues to be one of my most satisfying experiences. The Custom Residential Architects Network Annual Conference which was held in Newport was a testament to the vitality of custom residential architects and the great momentum this newest knowledge community is building with our own David Andreozzi, AIA, at the helm. Of course, the AIA Forum and annual Golf Classic continue to provide scholarships for the as-yet emerging professionals, ensuring that there will be future leaders for our profession.

Our final event of the year, the newly combined Annual Meeting and Design Awards Celebration, proved to be a great success. Born out of a desire to redefine how we celebrate design, the event will certainly contribute to the way we conduct our business, celebrate our accomplishments, and lead our chapter in the future.

The future is bright for our chapter, our profession, and the entire building industry. We will be following the lead from AIA to better meet the evolving needs of our members.

We sincerely appreciate the support of our corporate affiliates and will continue to involve and cultivate the important partnerships that we share. You have earned our gratitude by working for our mutual interests and goals of leadership, advocacy and communication. I remain committed to this mission, and I offer my heartfelt gratitude for the honor of serving as the 2012 President of the American Institute of Architects, Rhode Island Chapter.

Michael Warner, President 2012 mw.architect@verizon.net

SPRING 2013

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In the News

Mayor Taveras Names Ruben Flores-Marzan Planning and Urban Develo...

http://ww

Congratulations to the Newly Registered Architects!

AIAri would like to congratulate all of the Architects who earned their registration in 2012:

Estes/Twombley Wins 2012 myMarvin Architect’s Challenge In September of 2012, Marvin Windows and Doors announced the winners of the 2012 myMarvin Architect’s Challenge. James Estes of Estes/ Twombly Architects Inc. of Newport was Photograph by Warren Jagger, Warren Jagger Photography honored for his Block Island House. This light-filled island home was inspired by the early building designs found on Block Island.

Estes used the traditional “Block Island Dormer,” where the building facade extends into the roof with a gable, in two separate blocks to create the main living areas and the bedrooms. A shed porch connects the blocks. Marvin windows were chosen for their durability against the rough island climate, while also providing the large glass openings to take advantage of the southerly light and views throughout most of the home.

A4 Architecture Named 2012 Business Excellence Award Winner by Residential Design + Build Magazine In September, A4 Architecture was named a 2012 Business Excellence Award winner by Residential Design + Build magazine. The annual program recognizes residential design and construction firms for excellence in various aspects of business management.

Winners were chosen for their dedication to success and unwavering commitment to quality in the depths of a depressed economy and recovering housing market. Only two business awards were awarded from the many applications that were received.

Ross Cann AIA, founder of A4 Architecture Inc., noted, “We are pleased to get this recognition for our work to educate the larger community about the importance and value of good architectural design over history and into the present day. Our work in supporting the Newport Architectural Forum and in producing the Archi-Text articles on architecture over the last five years for local publications has been both enjoyable and rewarding for us.”

The article can be found at bit.ly/Premises2013-NAF.

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Eric Russell Army Mark Remillard Robert A. Santaniello Edward William Robbins, Jr. Brian Louis Valentine Peter Young Hess

Mayor Taveras Names Ruben Flores-Marzan and MayorPlanning Taveras Names Ru Urban Development Director Planning and Urban Dev Email Address

In February 2013, Ruben Flores-Marzán began work in Providence as Planning and Urban Development Director.

Flores-Marzán will execute the Mayor’s vision for a livable, sustainable city that encourages economic growth and community development. He will be responsible for the City’s medium- and long-range development strategies on issues ranging from economic growth to historic preservation.

State P brings Provide

Zip Code

Provide named position Develo Plannin

"I am v FloresPlannin Directo Floresportfolio of large-scale planning and de Providence. I am confident he will serv State Planning Director Providence a better place to live and w

Flores-Marzán previously served as the for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, where he led the Puerto Flores-Marzán will begin work in Provid Rico Planning Board - the island’s centralPlanning planning While andagency.

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historic preservation. The Director of P manages a team of about 25 professio Economic Development Director, Jame

Evelyn Audet Lighting Design Awarded SCORE Grant

"I am thrilled to join Mayor Taveras' ad working with Team Providence in achie a more creative, Program forged ainclusive, prosperous Flores-Marzán.

Sam’s Club and the Sam’s Club Giving collaboration with national non-profit SCORE to provide Flores-Marzán previously more than $500,000 in supplies and training to 102 U.S. small served as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, where businesses. The grant to SCORE will provide each business owner Board - the island's central planning ag Planningevent Director for Puerto with access and travel to a two-day educational to help themRico, Flore comprehensive development plan acro implement strategies to grow their business.

In 2011, Flores-Marzán coordinated th

and implementation Evelyn Audet Lighting Design in East Providence was one of ofsolar two and wind million. He processed development ap businesses selected from Rhode Island. Evelyn Audet Lightingemployment p billion with an expected Flores-Marzán championed mark Design’s projects encompass commercial,jobs. custom residential, investor confidence and forging partne landscape lighting, dimming control systems, restaurants, retail, government and private enterprise. hospitality, medical facilities, office buildings, marine lighting, Previous to his tenure in Puerto Rico, F galleries, museums and houses of worship.

SCORE will utilize the Coral and planner for the cities of Cape worked as aSpeed planning consultant with C grant from Sam’s Club to sponsor a two-day “High Growth engineering and planning firm.

Seminar” for the winners: a special training program featuring Flores-Marzán is licensed by the Amer Planners (AICP) and speaks both Engli key executives and workshops on attracting customers, branding, Master of Arts degrees in Urban Planni online marketing and developing a sales plan.

University of Akron and a Bachelor of A University of Puerto Rico.

"We are delighted to bring Mr. Flores-M of Economic Development. His deep un

A Tribute to William D. Warner, FAIA

Friends and colleagues gathered at The Dorrance on October 10, 2012 to pay tribute to William Diaz Warner, FAIA, who passed away at his home in Exeter, Rhode Island, on August 27, 2012. I want to thank everyone for their expressions of sympathy and offers to help plan the memorial event this spring.

Bill Warner was a member of the American Institute of Architects for 49 years and was elected to the prestigious College of Fellows in 1981 for his notable contribution to the profession. Locally, he will always be remembered as the visionary who proposed the relocation of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck Rivers and the creation of WaterPlace Park. As a preservationist, Bill played an important role in Providence early on when, in 1959, he directed the joint effort between the City Plan Commission and Providence Preservation Society to produce “College Hill: A Demonstration Study of Historic Area Renewal”. This work contributed to the beginning of many projects that we see around us today. More recently, Bill was instrumental in planning the relocation of Interstate 195 and designing the new I-way bridge spanning the Providence River.

Bill received many awards, including the 1997 Presidential Design Achievement Award which was presented to him by President Clinton for the river relocation and WaterPlace Park. During his career, AIAri, The American Association of School Administrators, The National Endowment for the Arts, and others honored his design work.

At the event in October, I invited others to share their own stories about Bill, and I shared some of the many stories generated by the two of us being architects in the same state and sharing the same last name.

Over the years, we each received the others’ mail and occasionally the others’ telephone calls. One time, I received a call from a South Carolina developer hoping to develop one of the parcels in Capital Center, and he wanted to partner with someone who knew the historical context and lay of the land. Although I felt I had some of the required experience, the developer was in fact looking for THE Bill Warner! As recently as this past September, while attending the Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) Symposium in Newport, I was approached by an architect from Philadelphia inquiring as to whether I was related to Bill Warner. Of course, there was no relation between us, and the architect who had met Bill during a design competition was sad to hear of his passing.

Jan Wampler, AIA, worked for Bill in the 1960’s, and was Bill’s first employee. He shared some of his earliest experiences including many late nights and early mornings working on various projects. The hours were not always regular, but certainly long when the task at hand warranted it. Jan recalled Bill’s modest temperament with clients and his amazing ability to win over his skeptical adversaries.

Photograph of the I-way Bridge by Sara Kudra, Assoc. AIA

William Kite, FAIA, spoke of his first job experience working for Bill doing construction administration on the Gordon School, which through on-the-job training, gave him valuable experience to develop his own style. Bill Kite remembers their deliberation over detail after detail, which had seemed trivial until their importance was realized in the final project.

Rico Mallozzi shared his story of a visit with Bill and Frank DiGregorio this past August, where the three reflected on issues of the day and then enjoyed some beer at a local bar. At Bill’s studio, while reflecting on the rendering of the new I-195 bridge, they discussed the idea of naming the bridge after Bill. Bill also agreed to contribute some of his drawings to the architectural drawing library Rico is working on at Roger Williams University. Rico left us all with a memorable tale of three colleagues enjoying a beer together and his realization that it would unknowingly be their last.

Ken Orenstein, AIA, claimed to be the only one present to have been offered a job by Bill, hired Bill, and fired by Bill! Ken had a ringside seat for Bill’s career in his capacity as Executive Director of the Providence Foundation and cited his dedication and perseverance that helped him accomplish his goals. Characteristically mysterious, Bill rarely divulged any more information than was necessary to accomplish the task at hand. His schematic and conceptual presentations often left his clients wondering as Bill would always leave with his plans in hand.

Many who were not able to attend the reception have shared their stories, including Barbara Russell-Willett, who spoke of Bill at the September chapter meeting of the Rhode Island Construction Specifications Institute. She worked with Bill for the past five years and expressed that she will be influenced by the “Old Master” forever.

Barbara remembered the “larger-than-life individual who was not only a passionate visionary of the big picture but also a tenacious, exacting, and untiring workhorse himself. He focused on the details from the shape of a river to the strength of a stainless steel cable rail fastener at its edge.” Those who worked closely with Bill benefited from his creative genius solving problems and his strong, unwavering character, which was demonstrated in his dynamic personality and his endless desire to imagine and realize positive change in through his work.

In May, AIAri will be recognizing Bill’s work. The event will certainly involve the history of Providence, the Riverwalk, WaterPlace Park, and the spirit of our longtime member, colleague, and dear friend. If you would like to be involved with planning the event, please contact me. I look forward to seeing you all this spring.

Mike Warner, AIA

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Responding in the Wake of Sandy As most Rhode Islanders know, our State dodged Hurricane Sandy’s full effects by some 225 miles. Yet, we were caught up in the fringes of the storm’s significant ocean impacts. Our southern coast received both the storm surge and wave action that seriously crippled Westerly in the Misquamicut Beach area and the Charlestown coast.

In Westerly, approximately 800 businesses and homes were impacted.

The most significant damage was along Atlantic Avenue. In Charlestown, the beach residences were impacted by both the ocean storm surge and wave action. The Rhode Island Architects and Engineers Emergency Response Task Force 7 (RI AEER TF-7), a professional volunteer organization, along with the Rhode Island Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 (RI USAR) under the direction of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) was requested to deploy in the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 30, less than 24 hours after Rhode Island experienced the coastal flooding and storm surge from Hurricane Sandy. Our teams were

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on site and ready to proceed in less than four hours after the call. That readiness was due to our tight organizational structure and the specific training that includes both building assessment as well as deployment safety training.

Our initial deployment on Tuesday was in a joint mission with the RI USAR along Atlantic Avenue in the Misquamicut Beach area, which was particularly devastated by the ocean’s water and the sand overwash. We deployed a total of three teams of professional architects and engineers as Building Safety Evaluators under the authority granted through application of RI General Law Title 30, Chapter 30-15 Emergency Management. Atlantic Avenue was covered by a sand layer three to four feet in depth. This was not in drifts but a uniform layer of beach sand that had been blown and swept in from the adjacent beach and dunes. Littering the avenue and surrounding land was debris from damaged buildings: exterior and interior materials, occupant contents including storm relocated vehicles and appliances, and site improvements. Damage ranged from building structures breeched or missing exterior walls - with some buildings filled with several feet of sand and stones, to extensive sand scouring that undermined foundations and pilings, to even more current code-compliant structures with missing or heavily damaged decks and stairway access structures. Several building structures were completely displaced from their foundations and transported a distance from their original property.

On that day, our RI AEER TF-7 teams evaluated some 62 commercial and residential building structures in approximately six hours. The structures were posted with cards to identify the level of hazard: the green “Safe to Occupy” card identified buildings that were reasonably safe to occupy, the yellow “Restricted Access” card indicating restricted access conditions, and the most severe red “Unsafe to Enter” card declaring the structure unsafe due to the potentially dangerous conditions present.

While USAR searched for people who were potentially trapped, injured, or worse within the various structures, our teams followed in quick succession, evaluating the buildings for structural integrity and life safety parameters.

The following day, our RI AEER TF-7 teams again deployed at the request of the Westerly Building Official to the RI EMA to continue the assessments for storm affected structures. A total of 26 additional structures in the Misquamicut Beach area were evaluated for structural and life-safety hazards. Through RI EMA, we were furnished with a vehicle and a driver who acted as our radio communications officer

to keep our team in radio contact with the Westerly Emergency Operations Center (EOC) housed in the Westerly police headquarters. A team from the Rhode Island State Building Commission was also in the area evaluating additional structures.

On Thursday, at the request again of the Westerly Building Official, the RI AEER TF-7 team deployed from the Westerly EOC, continued to assess and evaluate building structures along Atlantic Avenue, including the Misquamicut State Beach facility. Again, from RI EMA, we received transportation and communications support. A total of twenty additional structures were evaluated and posted accordingly. The RI AEER TF-7 teams evaluated and posted 108 structures in the hardest hit area of Westerly in just three days.

On Friday, November 2, the RI EMA, at the request of the Charlestown Building Official, organized teams to deploy over the weekend to provide a more detailed assessment of the structures that had previously posted as having sustained structural damage. A total of 55 structures in the Charlestown were evaluated and postings were confirmed or changed accordingly. Due to the swift and aggressive efforts by our team on Saturday, the Sunday deployment team was not required by the Charlestown Building Official. During our deployment, the RI AEER TF-7 volunteers assessed a total of 163 structures.

Architects and engineers in Rhode Island established this professional organization as a resource available to assist the State of Rhode Island and communities in the State when professional building safety assessments are required as a result of declared disaster events.

Being trained and actively participating in mock response scenarios for the events that we all hope never occur, our organization is prepared and ready to mobilize quickly and provide accurate and detailed building safety evaluations.

Our rapid and effective response during Hurricane Sandy is evidence of our specific building safety evaluation skills, team safety responsibilities, and deployment procedures learned through our training.

In events that are officially declared a disaster by the Governor of Rhode Island, the RI AEER TF-7 operates under the authority of the RI EMA. Additionally, RI AEER TF-7 members may be deployed under the authority of the Rhode Island State Building Code Commissioner and local Building Code Officials when they require additional resources to complete critical missions involving life safety and building structure evaluations. RI AEER TF-7 was deployed in such a situation in 2011 to evaluate roofs overloaded with wet snow and during the post-earthquake response. The response to disaster events by architects has long been recognized and promoted by the American Institute of Architects. Similar activities by the various engineer organizations, such as the Structural Engineer Emergency Response (SEER) committee of the National Council of Structural Engineers Association, have made significant strides in training building safety evaluators.

While there is a core group of architects and engineers that have assembled over the past several years, we are hoping to continue to grow the task force.

We will be holding essential training events over the next year to train new volunteers, increase our capacity to assist the citizens of Rhode Island during times of great urgency and need, and to help make our storm affected buildings safe and secure while quickening the road to recovery. We welcome your participation, and hope to see you.

To find out more about AEER TF-7 and how you can get involved, contact: Jeffrey A. Hatcher NCARB, AIA, LEED AP President, RI AEER TF-7 jhatcher@rgb.net

Photographs by Jeffrey A. Hatcher, AIA SPRING 2013

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by MARY BREWSTER, AIA

picture. He also stressed how the most important parts of this strategy do not rely on money paid to media. His final point was to stress the importance of professional photography.

sidential Architects a Knowledge Community of The American Institute of I was luckyNetwork enough(CRAN), to attend the speaking portion of the Custom Residential hold its fifth annual symposium on September 6-9, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency hotel near Architect (CRAN) Conference held custom in Newport fall. The port, Rhode Island.Network The three-day symposium will bring together residentiallast architects conference offered fulldiscuss platethe to the attendees, from tours of the area to practice country to learn about, share,aand design and practice of residential architecture.

and marketing information, from inspiration to roundtable participation. The

rce and a voice for residential architects who focus on a collaborative design process with the length of advocacy, this report will not lettome everything so youofwill have to provides support, and education theshare profession and the covered, public in matters custom attend the next conference to discover its full value! n.

Earn up to 18 AIA Continuing Education Hours, including 8 HSW and 3 SD credits.

CRAN was initiated in 2005 by a handful of AIA residential architects involved (CORA).

CORA’s goal was to create content that would better educate the public to the importance of well designed residential architecture. From its beginning, CRAN sought to provide educational content and support for AIA residential architects from within the AIA itself.

early growth of the Congress of Residential Architecture egisterwith for thethe symposium at http://network.aia.org/cran/Home/Symposium2012/

After 5 years and much discussion and effort, CRAN was incorporated into the structure of the national AIA organization as its own Knowledge Community.

Over time, CRAN has worked to provide speakers and lectures focused on residential design to the AIA National Conference annually. It has also hosted five national CRAN symposiums; the most recent was this one, which was attended by 175 residential architects from all over the country.

Saturday began with Allan Shope's presentation of his work after leaving Shope Reno Wharton in 2006. He has taken the time to look at his practice and the fundamentals of architecture all over again. Even though we tend to agree that a lot is broken in the building world, Allan decided that the only thing he could fix was himself. He is seeking to understand the best way to integrate his buildings with the landscape and to make them simple and sustainable. His story of reinvention and his emphasis on being a maker as well as an architect inspired us.

We heard from Russell Versacci, and his belief that creating buildings that people value inspired the best kind of sustainability: taking care of the buildings that we already have. His New Old House illustrated building design in the traditional manner and how new craftspeople could create these types of places. He showed examples of this work in process and the buildings that are created.

Joeb Moore takes a different approach and uses simple, traditional forms and intense site analysis to create new house designs. He explained the importance of the several axes embedded in Newport and how he had experienced them as a young adult. As a designer, he now acts as an interface to this process, working to produce moments of doubt, mystery, conflict, and double-meaning.

In this process, both the architect and the occupant have to question their own perspective. It puts humans in the center of the drama and gives them a place to move deeper.

For the proprietors among us, one of the high points was listening to Mark Hutker explain his approach to strategic marketing. From the members of the firm, through all the people that he comes in contact with, out into different facets of his community, he forges connections and underscores the quality of his approach to architecture. His anecdotes and illustration of studio marketing materials really showed how to integrate your marketing strategy into your entire

Gary Brewer presented an overview of the work done at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and how it responded to the needs of its clients. Eschewing a stylistic preference, they design in response to the context of the building and community. In addition, he reviewed traditional American pattern books for homes and how they informed builders in the past. Through the Institute of Classical Architecture, he has helped run seminars for home designers, sharing the main tenets of proportion and detail important to the informed use of these patterns.

Michael Imber presented two houses worked on by his firm and how he uses the notion of meaning as well as function to create satisfying places. He reminded us how buildings age out of use when they are stripped of meaning, where both government buildings and homes become obsolete after 30 years, and need to be rebuilt or replaced. When buildings become only a statement of fashion, it accelerates their obsolescence. His renovation of stone and timber buildings in a Medina River Ranch house tied into the local vernacular to mend the aging building and create a timeless compound. His Coastal Living Idea House in Galveston provides internal light and ventilation while incorporating construction methods that let it survive Hurricane Ike. Sunday included both a panel discussion and group breakout discussions. The panel was moderated by Rob Hesselbarth of Residential Design + Build magazine and covered the Best Practices of three firms: Allan Shope spoke for his eponymous 5 person firm, Michael Imber reported from the perspective of his 15 person firm, and Gary Brewer came from the 250-person firm headed by Robert A.M. Stern. The main theme of the discussion focused on the advantages of each size and the kind of architectural practice that it let them experience.

The discussion of the advantages of the large firm like Robert A.M. Stern Architects centered on the resources available to the practitioner: the talented staff available to assist in the work, the collaborative nature of the process, the model shop to build site model and massing models, and the researchers and firm experience. Gary Brewer did admit that it can be difficult to explain their personal approach when a residential client sees the size of their office.

Michael Imber’s 12 person firm offers him the opportunity to work on larger projects, while keeping him personally connected to projects and clients. While most of his office time is spent managing, a lot of design happens at home after hours.

They have launched a partnership with an interior design firm to increase their capabilities, and many of their clients take advantage of this additional service. They have had to become more flexible with the contract arrangements with their clients after the economy changed, but they are still kept through construction on almost all projects.

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from the competition, and working with consultants and contractors. The discussion also covered how to tell a client bad news, how to predict costs, and best business practices – all topics which we know were never covered in our formal training at architecture school. We also discussed the importance of gaining a client’s trust and facilitating communication within a project team.

Allan Shope has created a small office where he can focus directly on architecture. He now selects a few projects in which the owners are interested in exploring with him how their site fits into the natural world. They select trees and stones from the site to integrate into the project.

Not only does he do construction drawings, but his firm also does their own shop drawings.

Working with four employees minimizes constraints for him.

The best practices panel was a chance for peerto-peer networking. Groups of eight discussed their practices and their successes, sources of work and marketing ideas, contract forms, the use of CAD programs, growing professional staff, educating clients, distinguishing yourself Tower Construction ad_July2011:Layout 1

CRAN is looking to organize a PEER-NET of groups like this. Firm owners from noncompeting areas would meet to share and compare information and learn from the discussions. This has been a very valuable process to builders in similar situations, and it is hoped that some architects might also take part in mutual education in this way.

The sponsors who attended this event brought very knowledgeable representatives and plenty of great samples to the event. They were pleased with the time that they had to spend with the attendees, both to present their products and to learn from the attendees at the social events.

In order to continue the momentum of CRAN, architects need to get involved in this organization. There is a tremendous amount of valuable information available, but there is no hoard of workers at the AIA to make this happen. There are CRAN sub-committees that need people to help take initiatives to the actionable stage, and there is a toolkit on the website to start a chapter.

The first step to get involved is to sign up on the CRAN knowledge net at the AIA site: www.aia.org/CRAN. Next year's CRAN conference will be in Santa Fe, and we hope to see you there!

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by SARA KUDRA, Assoc. AIA, EPC Chair

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS COMMITTEE The EPC has made a resolution this New Year to help our emerging professionals through the ARE! The committee has begun a seven-part seminar series to review for each of the exams and to create a community of young professionals at a unifying point in their careers. The first seminar, held on January 9 at the AIAri Window on Architecture was a great success with 15 attendees. Christen Robbins, AIA, of Vision 3 Architects discussed the “Construction Documents and Services” exam.

The seminars are funded by a College of Fellows Emerging Professional Component Grant, which was awarded to AIAri EPC last fall. The $1500 grant will be used to host the scheduled seminars, compensate instructors for their time, and purchase additional materials for the EPC Learning Library. With an already robust collection of materials, the grant money will allow the Learning Library to include multiple copies of ARE study materials so that more emerging professionals can take advantage of this affordable alternative to purchasing the costly study guides.

The next review seminar will be held April 10 and focus on the “Site Planning & Design” exam. The remainder of the sessions will be held monthly, on the second Wednesday, and we are always looking for instructors. If you are interested in presenting, please contact me at sara.kudra@gmail.com.

At the beginning of 2013, Matthew Clemence stepped down from his post as EPC chair after two years. The members of EPC would like to thank Matthew for his hard work and commitment to the committee for the past few years and for his continued presence as an active member.

Photographs by Sara Kudra, Assoc. AIA

This spring the EPC is planning some big events. We will be hosting a public forum focusing on the interim development of the currently vacant I-195 land that runs through the center of Providence. This is the third in a series of events called “Why Wait? The Interim Development of the I-195 Land”, which began last July at the AIAri Education Expo at Roger Williams University. The committee then hosted a design charrette as a follow up to the discussion of the land at the expo. We were excited to welcome neighborhood association presidents from the Fox Point Neighborhood Association and the Jewelry District Association as well as members of the city’s I-195 Commission who are charged with the task of reviewing all plans for the land as it is developed. More information about the forum and the past I-195 events can be found on http://195hopes.com/, a website developed by Christine Malecki West, AIA, for the collection of information and wishes for the vacant land.

This summer is looking busy for the EPC with construction site tours and the continuing ARE seminars. If you have a project under construction that the committee could tour, please get in touch. Interns are now able, under new IDP guidelines, to gain construction administration hours under different supervision than their regularly assigned supervisor; therefore, they can gain valuable experience on EPC tours.

Also, the committee is always looking for more eager participants for event planning, and community building. If you would like to get involved please send an email to me at sara.kudra@gmail.com or come to a committee meeting on the second Tuesday of each month at the AIAri Window on Architecture at 158 Washington Street in Providence. We hope to see you there!

SPRING 2013

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PROVIDENCE, RI PERMIT NO. 843

P.O. Box 9325, Providence, RI 02904 (401) 272-6418 www.aia-ri.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

AIAri wants to hear your input, and we’re always trying to find new ways to connect with our members.

Donald Giambastiani

Solomon+Bauer+Giambastiani Architects Inc.

If you have suggestions or comments, please be sure to let us know. We’d love to hear from you!

How to connect with AIAri: P.O. Box 9325, Providence, RI 02904 info@aia-ri.org or premises@aia-ri.org (401) 272 - 6416

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