Connection
President’s message:
2022 AIA president
Productivity guru David Allen says: “There are no problems, just projects.” I like that quote because it reminds me that no matter how serious and overwhelming our challenges may be, they are solvable.
just as important architects be innovative in our thinking, our outreach, our communication. It doesn’t matter how innovative we are if our clients and communities don’t work with us to deploy innovative best practices.
Our communities have big challenges. And our profession is uniquely equipped to help. Whether it’s climate change, racial inequity, or the pandemic, we can address our most urgent problems with design.
Through innovative strategies, we’re making great strides in demonstrating the power of design and building the partnerships we need to achieve meaningful progress – locally, nationally, and globally.
That’s why I say design thinking is our superpower. By training and by nature, architects are big picture thinkers. Problem solvers. Innovators.
AIA’s Mayors Innovation Project is just one example of new outreach at the local level. This recently launched initiative pairs mayors and city staff from three cities -- Eastpointe, Mich.; Clarksville, Tenn.; and Blacksburg, Va. – with an architect for about 6 months to tackle a local renovation, reuse or retrofit challenge. Each city’s goal is to reduce environmental impact and equitably serve the surrounding community. Nationally, we moved the needle on the federal infrastructure debate. More than 5,000 members wrote their members of Congress to deliver our simple message: Buildings are infrastructure. The infrastructure bill signed into law in November includes meaningful advancements toward building a more resilient and sustainable built environment.
We know how to design spaces that are more resilient, more inclusive, and healthier. And the need for these spaces has never been more obvious, or more urgent. When we talk about innovation in architecture, we usually focus on technology, and for good reason. Groundbreaking advances in methods, materials, and project management are some of our best tools for building 21st century communities. But for architectural innovation to achieve its full potential, it’s
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