24. An annual programs at the AIA convention who's title and message is THE AIA DOES NOT WORK FOR US. Provide an open half day workshop with the board to express areas that are not working within the AIA and suggest opportunities to solve these problems. Each year, every year.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
22. The AIA needs to make a Policy Statement on their commitment to the Residential Market. They need to make a public accountable statement, now, or simply announce that they choose to retreat from this market. At least then residential architects know where the AIA stands and can take their dollars somewhere else.
Right now the AIA gladly accepts dues from Residential Architects, yet ignores issues that are central to their practice. This is in-genuine and dishonorable. Dues are a burden on small practitioners, more so than larger commercial firms. The AIA takes that money from them with no intention to act on their issues.
Right now the AIA gladly accepts dues from Residential Architects, yet ignores issues that are central to their practice. This is in-genuine and dishonorable. Dues are a burden on small practitioners, more so than larger commercial firms. The AIA takes that money from them with no intention to act on their issues.
21. Requiring a licensed Architect in the firm to call it a Design Build Company.
I would add that 51% of the ownership of the firm must be held by a Registered Architect. We should push for this in all States. Design Build is the way of the future and unfortunately Architects are losing this battle at the Commercial, Institutional, and Residential level to the rogues. We need more Architects involved leading Design Build efforts.
I would add that 51% of the ownership of the firm must be held by a Registered Architect. We should push for this in all States. Design Build is the way of the future and unfortunately Architects are losing this battle at the Commercial, Institutional, and Residential level to the rogues. We need more Architects involved leading Design Build efforts.
20. Throw under the bus conventional thinking like "educating the public", ad campaigns, and the past lame efforts of the AIA to address housing.
The product we are selling is not being bought. It's about supply and demand and our product is simply not in demand. While there are successful exceptions, our architectural services as a whole have morphed and become irrelevant. Its time to think creatively about how to approach this, right - we are supposed to be good at this. Especially the small practitioners that work in housing and wear all the hats our business demands. Don't fall back to conventional thinking or we will not get anywhere.
The product we are selling is not being bought. It's about supply and demand and our product is simply not in demand. While there are successful exceptions, our architectural services as a whole have morphed and become irrelevant. Its time to think creatively about how to approach this, right - we are supposed to be good at this. Especially the small practitioners that work in housing and wear all the hats our business demands. Don't fall back to conventional thinking or we will not get anywhere.
19 Research and conceptualize new alternative partial service business models that allow us to offer good design on a cost basis competitive with the current flow of bad design.
We need a model that allows us to enter the existing mass market on a cost basis on a par or better than the status quo. We need a business model that allows us to compete, NOW. Good design alone will not win them over - only more profit, or loss of profit to competitors.
We need a model that allows us to enter the existing mass market on a cost basis on a par or better than the status quo. We need a business model that allows us to compete, NOW. Good design alone will not win them over - only more profit, or loss of profit to competitors.
16. A pilot green home project. Give grants so that green houses can be built in communities across the nation which exemplify energy efficiency, good use of materials, smaller footprints and also raise awareness of architecture. These houses would be used as a training program to teach builders, designers, architects, and related trades people best modern practices while they are being built and then used to teach the community afterwards. After this they would be occupied and monitored for performance. So that we can get good data on which strategy's are most effective.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
13. Take steps now to redefine the designer's role in a devastated Housing Market.
Lobby for Architects role in every step of Housing Market - architect lead in site planning, market research, appraisals, real estate transactions. The housing industry is shattered to pieces right now - this is an opportunity to redefine our role - and even if unsuccessful it is a giant opportunity to bring our issues to the public eye in arguing for the expansion of our role.
Pass a law that requires each used home sold be inspected by an architect as well as the state inspector before the sale. (a flat fee could be negotiated)
Lobby for Architects role in every step of Housing Market - architect lead in site planning, market research, appraisals, real estate transactions. The housing industry is shattered to pieces right now - this is an opportunity to redefine our role - and even if unsuccessful it is a giant opportunity to bring our issues to the public eye in arguing for the expansion of our role.
Pass a law that requires each used home sold be inspected by an architect as well as the state inspector before the sale. (a flat fee could be negotiated)
12. Show the public how architect designed homes are different and educate them to the process. ( see www.homesbyarchitects.org)
8. Improved communication between the major building industry groups like NAHB, NHBA, NARI and others so that we are partner, and reach out to AIBD, NCIDQ, etc.
Don’t waiver or compromise on our role, and standards, but work to define roles and then job duty datum’s from different organizations can respect each other in order work as a team.
Don’t waiver or compromise on our role, and standards, but work to define roles and then job duty datum’s from different organizations can respect each other in order work as a team.
7. Annual budget national ad campaign championing the importance of an architect, especially professional services, for all structures.
Focus qualifications of an architect are compared to a local draftsman. 5-6 years of school, a 3-4 internship, a four day test, and a professional liability policy, and featuring the expert.
Promote and publicize every small success to demonstrate value of design using all of the same social media outlets. This is our leverage to win over early adopters, builders & developers looking for a competitive edge against the market. Give them really good deals on our services via new business models.
Focus qualifications of an architect are compared to a local draftsman. 5-6 years of school, a 3-4 internship, a four day test, and a professional liability policy, and featuring the expert.
Promote and publicize every small success to demonstrate value of design using all of the same social media outlets. This is our leverage to win over early adopters, builders & developers looking for a competitive edge against the market. Give them really good deals on our services via new business models.
6. AIA stimulus to help housing. We can start with a 30-35 home mortgages at 3-4% for a limited time of 2 years, tax credits for Residential Architectural services, a one month per (24 months paid on a mortgage) credit to allow homeowner to skip, with the government paying the juice up to $3000 interest per month, and allowing home owners to use extra money they have put down on their mortgage as monthly payments, and involve the AIA in a dialogue with bankers to devise a mortgage system that is based on the cost of buildings over their lifetime as opposed to only initial cost. (we have always known this).
5. A separate high profile AIA website tailored specifically for the interests of typical homeowners and residential Architects.
Most of the market uses the internet daily, and probably 98% of the residential consumers use. The current AIA web site is not designed from a graphic design (tactile) or content standpoint to represent that percentage. Residential architecture is diverse enough to justify its own web site featuring the myriad of good archetypes within "Residential" (modern, green, traditional, low income, spec, etc.) The current AIA site does have a few pages about hiring an architect, which are actually pretty good, but they are difficult to find and do not go into too much detail. If there were a dedicated site that has a well conceived explanation of the many values of our services as well as the typical relationship of Design-Bid-Build or Architect Led-Design-Build home owners would be able to become very knowledgeable very early on in the process and then have discussions with the Architects they interview. The site could easily have corporate sponsorship from related building products and special interest groups, including Architects. The site could also have a database of registered AIA professionals that could be searched by geographical area, specific communities and special interests like LEED or Historic Preservation or Construction Management....... '07 the monthly commercial const. spending was $375 billion and the residential was $500 billion.
We need to make a more organized effort to leverage social networking sites on the internet to 1. bring more designers and builders on board with CRAN & CORA's ideals and 2. to expose more of the home owning/buying public to better design.
We need to launch or join/participate in online communities that foster interest in a range of design themes - classical, craftsman, bungalows, green, modern, prefabricated - any topic where we can nurture the pro-consumer enthusiast and feed their interest in better design. These people have already drunk the cool-aid on their own accord - these are our true believers.
Most of the market uses the internet daily, and probably 98% of the residential consumers use. The current AIA web site is not designed from a graphic design (tactile) or content standpoint to represent that percentage. Residential architecture is diverse enough to justify its own web site featuring the myriad of good archetypes within "Residential" (modern, green, traditional, low income, spec, etc.) The current AIA site does have a few pages about hiring an architect, which are actually pretty good, but they are difficult to find and do not go into too much detail. If there were a dedicated site that has a well conceived explanation of the many values of our services as well as the typical relationship of Design-Bid-Build or Architect Led-Design-Build home owners would be able to become very knowledgeable very early on in the process and then have discussions with the Architects they interview. The site could easily have corporate sponsorship from related building products and special interest groups, including Architects. The site could also have a database of registered AIA professionals that could be searched by geographical area, specific communities and special interests like LEED or Historic Preservation or Construction Management....... '07 the monthly commercial const. spending was $375 billion and the residential was $500 billion.
We need to make a more organized effort to leverage social networking sites on the internet to 1. bring more designers and builders on board with CRAN & CORA's ideals and 2. to expose more of the home owning/buying public to better design.
We need to launch or join/participate in online communities that foster interest in a range of design themes - classical, craftsman, bungalows, green, modern, prefabricated - any topic where we can nurture the pro-consumer enthusiast and feed their interest in better design. These people have already drunk the cool-aid on their own accord - these are our true believers.
Lets assume the 35% of our AIA architects practice in the residential areas. (I have no idea) The world of residential architecture is diverse enough to justify its own AIA area featuring the myriad of good archetypes presented in a format that our clients would feel comfortable.
4. The AIA needs to provide real representations for Residential Architectural representation in the form of a Residential President or Czar (by separate election) that will fight for us with their own subcommittees that justify our dues.
The last time I checked, we pay the same dues if we produce residential or commercial architecture.
4. The AIA needs to provide real representations for Residential Architectural representation in the form of a Residential President or Czar (by separate election) that will fight for us with their own subcommittees that justify our dues.
The last time I checked, we pay the same dues if we produce residential or commercial architecture.
2. Architect as a Lawyer…as a true leader for the Owner – Teach college students that the role of an architect is more akin to an attorney than a rock star. It is the true principle that the entire AIA contract doctrine is based on.
In England architects act more as representative to execute rules for the construction process, again, on behalf of the owner. Many architects have failed so badly in orchestrating residential construction from our ivory towers that contractors are now becoming the primary representative to the owners to protect the owners from irresponsible and egotistical architects. We have done this to ourselves by allowing architects though the system without a real understanding of the construction process and unwilling to work with others in that complicated process as equals. We need to change the imagery of what an Architect is.
In England architects act more as representative to execute rules for the construction process, again, on behalf of the owner. Many architects have failed so badly in orchestrating residential construction from our ivory towers that contractors are now becoming the primary representative to the owners to protect the owners from irresponsible and egotistical architects. We have done this to ourselves by allowing architects though the system without a real understanding of the construction process and unwilling to work with others in that complicated process as equals. We need to change the imagery of what an Architect is.
1. Promote and demand that architecture is taught and celebrated as a perfect balance of commodity, firmness, and delight from our colleges to the AIA national award ceremonies. Stop celebrating architects that present us sculpture as architecture…cardboard buildings that leak after a decade and building designs that ignore codes (yet have been are celebrated with awards for decades.)
During my freshman year at the University of Cincinnati (1979?) I had the opportunity to visit the Hanselman House in Fort Wayne Indiana with (my professor at the time,) Peter Waldman, who (if I remember correctly,) had worked for both Meiers and Graves while attending Princeton. During that trip, among other projects, we visited both the Hanselman House and the Sniderman House in the rain. The design of projects were monumental to the development of all residential architecture when they were included in the NEW YORK FIVE exhibition at MOMA, New York, in 1969 and the following book “FIVE ARCHITECTS,” published in 1975. To say these projects (and this book,) rocked the architectural world is an understatement. It was our bible at college. To study the drawings of the Hansleman House, even today as I flip through the book again, is about as thought provoking as architectural experimentation gets. Furthermore, to experience this object in real life was even more exhilarating…it was breathtaking genius. That said…the Hanselman House, 15 years old at the time, was literally falling apart. It was rotted and leaking all over. There were buckets (literally,) catching the rain all over the house, and there was an elderly couple talking to Peter about whether they should restore the object and sell it…or rip it down and sell the land. Think about that! This couple did not seem like some philanthropic family “doing it” for the good of architecture as a whole, rather they went to an Architect for a home…and their nest egg, or equity, to me, had rotted away in 15 years because they asked for architecture (which includes firmness,) and they were given cardboard architecture and glory. Commodity, Firmness, and Delight is Vituvious's recipe for good architecture. This project experimented with this formula for the betterment of architecture…and the experiment failed. Ironically, and to prove my point, the architectural genius is as fresh in the pages of that book today as it was when it was published. Pawning experimentation off on a family…is a sad commentary of what our responsibilities are as architects.
These cutting edge experiments are celebrated throughout out world, from academia through national AIA awards and architectural periodicals, year after year. I have seen more code violations, included the most egregious, illegal stairways, in the last twenty years, as something that we should be celebrating as perfect architecture. Its like a cute joke among geeky architects at award ceremonies. The reality is that this is not architecture, (more analogous to using steroids in sports,) and cheats all the architects that follow the rules. These images do not fulfill the definition of architecture according to Vitrivious, and frankly we should all be ashamed for allowing ourselves celebrate this as architecture to the outside world as such. Call it what it is, cardboard architecture…next. It is exactly this moon bat system that has allowed our role as architect to become irrelevant….because the outside world knows better. Builders know we should build in common sense construction techniques, and owner's should rely on an inherent resale value when they decide to cash out. Architects have been taught to build monuments to ourselves for an award and fame. This reality is so far awry, one wonders how many decades of relearning it will take to change the paradigm from the classrooms to the board rooms. The students learn from us, we have been tragic role models....we need to change.
NOTE: This is NOT intended to a a commentary on any singular type of architecture...all styles of architecture can be good. This is a commentary about the architects that don’t study the science of the envelope and architects that simple ignore the envelope in order to push it. This is a disservice to architecture as a whole.
During my freshman year at the University of Cincinnati (1979?) I had the opportunity to visit the Hanselman House in Fort Wayne Indiana with (my professor at the time,) Peter Waldman, who (if I remember correctly,) had worked for both Meiers and Graves while attending Princeton. During that trip, among other projects, we visited both the Hanselman House and the Sniderman House in the rain. The design of projects were monumental to the development of all residential architecture when they were included in the NEW YORK FIVE exhibition at MOMA, New York, in 1969 and the following book “FIVE ARCHITECTS,” published in 1975. To say these projects (and this book,) rocked the architectural world is an understatement. It was our bible at college. To study the drawings of the Hansleman House, even today as I flip through the book again, is about as thought provoking as architectural experimentation gets. Furthermore, to experience this object in real life was even more exhilarating…it was breathtaking genius. That said…the Hanselman House, 15 years old at the time, was literally falling apart. It was rotted and leaking all over. There were buckets (literally,) catching the rain all over the house, and there was an elderly couple talking to Peter about whether they should restore the object and sell it…or rip it down and sell the land. Think about that! This couple did not seem like some philanthropic family “doing it” for the good of architecture as a whole, rather they went to an Architect for a home…and their nest egg, or equity, to me, had rotted away in 15 years because they asked for architecture (which includes firmness,) and they were given cardboard architecture and glory. Commodity, Firmness, and Delight is Vituvious's recipe for good architecture. This project experimented with this formula for the betterment of architecture…and the experiment failed. Ironically, and to prove my point, the architectural genius is as fresh in the pages of that book today as it was when it was published. Pawning experimentation off on a family…is a sad commentary of what our responsibilities are as architects.
These cutting edge experiments are celebrated throughout out world, from academia through national AIA awards and architectural periodicals, year after year. I have seen more code violations, included the most egregious, illegal stairways, in the last twenty years, as something that we should be celebrating as perfect architecture. Its like a cute joke among geeky architects at award ceremonies. The reality is that this is not architecture, (more analogous to using steroids in sports,) and cheats all the architects that follow the rules. These images do not fulfill the definition of architecture according to Vitrivious, and frankly we should all be ashamed for allowing ourselves celebrate this as architecture to the outside world as such. Call it what it is, cardboard architecture…next. It is exactly this moon bat system that has allowed our role as architect to become irrelevant….because the outside world knows better. Builders know we should build in common sense construction techniques, and owner's should rely on an inherent resale value when they decide to cash out. Architects have been taught to build monuments to ourselves for an award and fame. This reality is so far awry, one wonders how many decades of relearning it will take to change the paradigm from the classrooms to the board rooms. The students learn from us, we have been tragic role models....we need to change.
NOTE: This is NOT intended to a a commentary on any singular type of architecture...all styles of architecture can be good. This is a commentary about the architects that don’t study the science of the envelope and architects that simple ignore the envelope in order to push it. This is a disservice to architecture as a whole.
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