About The AIARepositioning the AIA

Comments by Carl Elefante, FAIA, Middle Atlantic Regional Director

On March 19th and 20th, leading up to Grassroots, I attended my first AIA Board of Directors meeting as a voting Director. Like Grassroots itself, much of the Board meeting focused on Repositioning. (If this term is not familiar to you, learn more about it above. If you are reading this, chances are Repositioning is important to your career.)

By no means was there a conclusive discussion among the Board about Repositioning. Such a debate would not have been appropriate since the assessment process is just beginning. The research into the architectural profession and AIA conducted by LaPlaca Cohen and Pentagram was first presented to the Board in December. Most of the intervening months have been devoted to preparing for Grassroots with the purpose of engaging AIA chapter leaders from around the nation and world in Repositioning. As you can see through the materials on the website, the process took very important steps forward at Grassroots.

This said, during the Board meeting Directors were given an opportunity to express their thoughts on Repositioning. I'm probably showing my naiveté, but, I was somewhat surprised by the divergent opinions. Put in the simplest terms, two views of the profession, AIA's role, and the opportunities of Repositioning were revealed.

The first perspective is about circling the wagons. The architectural profession is under attack on many fronts. It is AIA's responsibility to protect the interests of licensed architects from further erosion. The second viewpoint is about expanding the relevance of architecture. The profession contributes to solving many of today's economic, social, and environmental challenges. It is the AIA's responsibility to empower its members to seize new opportunities.

Last year I read Deborah Rudacille's terrific book Roots of Steel about Baltimore's steel industry that went from boom to bust. After World War II, the unions and management engaged in an apparent murder-suicide pact that took Sparrows Point from the largest producer of steel in the world to mostly shuttered in twenty years. It is a sobering tale.

I can't help but draw parallels to our position today. As a high school student I worked afternoons for an architectural firm lead by a handful of registered architects, staffed mostly by career drafters. That world is gone. The pace of change only increases. Can Repositioning succeed if its goal is protecting architects from change?

For me the answer is clear. It is undeniable that the standing of architects has been transformed since the giants of the 20th century erected the modern world in a flurry of industrial expansion. But the determined forcefulness of their era has been replaced with the complex diversity of ours.

Imagine if the importance of architecture in energy security and the green economy was understood. Imagine if the contribution of architecture to improving human wellbeing and public health was valued. Imagine if the role of architecture in addressing environmental degradation and the causes of climate change was recognized.

It's not hard; many already do. Throughout the millennia, architects have shaped a better future by facing the challenges of an ever-more-complex world. Repositioning means facing today's challenges with the same confidence and vision. Together, we must aspire to do much more than protect our profession from the irresistible forces of global evolution. We must lead our profession to a place of optimal relevance and impact.

 

Comments from AIA Florida

Dear AIA Florida Leader:

Last week we attended the 2013 AIA Grassroots Legislative and Leadership Conference along with other component leaders from across the nation. If you were there, you know that the major focus of this conference was the Institute's Repositioning Effort. If you were not there, we want you to know that this gathering was one of the most important and encouraging events in the history of the Institute.

This repositioning process began with the premise that, "The nature and practice of architecture is evolving and the AIA must evolve with it in order to secure its leadership position."

Over 31,000 respondents inside and outside of the AIA provided information to help us discover the future direction of AIA. The research and findings have identified a need for AIA to shift the organizational perspective from the "what?" to the "why?"

While there is much work ahead of us, one of the most gratifying parts of the conference was the validation that AIA Florida continues to lead the way. At Grassroots, AIA Florida was presented with two National Component Excellence Awards acknowledging the hard work of our volunteers leaders and staff. In addition, our strategic planning and annual planning process had already identified many of the concerns and opportunities shared in the national repositioning effort. Most of all, we are encouraged by the unique opportunity that the Repositioning Effort provides us at all levels to reach out to existing and potential members.

In anticipation of the many questions we expect this information to generate, we want you provide some guidance as to where we fit in, what we will do, and what you need to do.

Where Do We Fit In

The AIA Board of Directors adopted this Statement of Purpose:

The AIA is a visionary member organization providing advocacy, leadership, and resources for architects to design a better world.

This statement aligns quite well with AIA Florida's Vision:

AIA Florida is a united association of architects leading the shaping of Florida's Future.

In the short term, our commitment is that:

We will continue to review our current organizational structure to align values, priorities, and resources. Quite frankly, there are still things that we must change and some things that we should no longer try to do.

We will work with the Florida Foundation for Architecture to more broadly communicate the value of architecture to the public. In order to "design a better world," AIA must be an organization actively engaged with the public.

We will support the initiative of our emerging professionals to organize a Florida/Carribean Region Emerging Professionals Leadership Summit, which will happen within the next 90 days. Inclusion of emerging professionals in the meaningful ways to participate in leadership of our organization is vital to both our present and future.

What You Need to Do

This is not a top-down effort. The most critical part of determining the success of AIA remains at the local component level.

Here is what we ask you to do:

Watch and share the repositioning presentation (available in our gallery above) with other architects. Forward the link with a personal message to create a buzz among members and non-members about what is going on at AIA. If you have a particular passion for this initiative, you should consider applying to become a Volunteer Repositioning Ambassador at the national level.

Hold a "town hall" to share and discuss the Statement of Purpose and the Position Statement with your members. Ask how they think it should inform your choices moving forward. Remember, you don't need to decide what needs to change, ask your members to tell you.

Monitor the AIA/repositioning webpage. AIA National will be announcing grant opportunities to assist local components as they develop methods to reposition at a local level.

Share what you are doing to "drive positive change" with other component leaders. How will your local component change resources and priorities? Our AIA Florida page on Facebook is open for your use or you can use the hashtag #AIAFLrep. Post, email, tweet, send a video, or even a letter with your comments and questions.

Together we are making a difference THROUGH ARCHITECTURE!

Dan Kirby, AIA, AICP, LEED AP
President
Kim Headland, AIA
Chair, Repositioning and Emerging Professionals (REP) Working Group

 

Blog Post by Texas Society of Architects EVP James Perry

Beyond the Boardroom – AIA Repositioning/Grassroots

As a relative newcomer (2+ years) to the Texas Society of Architects and AIA, last week I attended Grassroots for the third time, participating with great interest and learning a good deal more about the Institute’s processes, staff and board. The AIA “repositioning” effort seems to me to be a very good development for all.

As someone who has regularly witnessed the wry expression on members’ faces when AIA is discussed, I’m glad to know the need for change is recognized. Through member surveys and other methods of gathering information, ten elements have been identified as needing attention:

Leadership tenure – one year terms lead to a lack of continuity
Component autonomy vs. lack of unity leads to inconsistency
Lack of tier organization – many members remain unclear about the function of each tier (national, state and local)
Board size and composition – the board is too large and lacks diversity in age and demographics
Component structure is challenging and unwieldy
Passive reactiveness – the organization is slow to take a stand
Resource allocation – there is an inequity of resources and benefits throughout the tiers of the organization

Of the ten items, the attendees at Grassroots identified these three related issues as the most pressing concerns:

Engaging emerging professionals – many newly licensed architects, or intern architects, are not assigning value to AIA membership
Prioritization – it was expressed that no initiative is ever rejected (or concluded for that matter…)
Inefficacy of communications – members tune out AIA items

I hope that AIA members will be pleased that national leaders are ready to address many of the “disconnect” issues that have been identified through this year-long process.

As part of the Repositioning presentation, AIA released "The AIA Manifesto," an excellent video about what is means to be an architect (available in our gallery above). You can also visit the Repositioning the AIA page to view additional items and learn more about what is being said.

So, AIA leaders are hearing the message that the organization needs to become more effective, more connected to its members, and more representative of its concerns. It was a message delivered many times – and it has, I feel, been clearly acknowledged.

The Texas Society of Architects leadership is recognized as proactive (sometimes more so than some might like), and our members are represented well in these conversations by Texas AIA Regional Board Members Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, John Nyfeler, FAIA, and James Nader, FAIA, as well as by Texas Architects President Larry Speck, FAIA.

I’m encouraged, and I hope that you will be, too, after you’ve had a chance to look at some of the materials available. Let us know what you think….Your comments are welcome!

"Beyond the Boardroom" is a new blog by Texas Society of Architects EVP James T. Perry.