March 2009

Dear Members of the AIA Public Architects Knowledge Community:

Thank you for your continued membership in AIA Public Architects. I would like to take this opportunity to update you on our accomplishments and inform you of our plans for 2009.

  • Public Architects Training Workshop (PATW)
    In 2008, the PATW was held Boston and with nearly 200 attendees, it was a great success. Some of the topics included building information modeling (BIM), case studies, and project delivery and planning strategies. The 2009 PATW will be held in San Francisco on April 29. This one-day preconvention workshop explores the roles and responsibilities of architects who are involved in the design and construction of public buildings, as well as some of the latest ideas in public architecture. Visit the PATW Web site (linked from the AIA website, under "Practicing Architecture" and "Member Group Communities") for more information.

  • Liaison Efforts with the Corporate Architect and Facility Managers
    Public Architects Knowledge Community will continue liaison efforts with the AIA Corporate Architect and Facility Management Knowledge Community, as we share many professional activities and would like to develop mutual benefits for our members. We will gather together for a reception immediately following the PATW on April 29, and we invite all members to attend:

    E07 AIA Committee of Corporate Architects and Facility Management and AIA Public Architects Committee Event at the San Francisco Federal Building
    April 29, 2009 6–8 p.m., $50
    Join local and national members of the AIA Committee of Corporate Architects and Facility Management (CAFM) and AIA Public Architects Committee (PA) at a hosted reception in the new San Francisco Federal Building, designed by Morphosis. Enjoy food and drinks in this stimulating environment and meet clients and practitioners in public and corporate architecture.

    Please note that registrants for the PA00 Public Architects Training Workshop, Tour, and Reception will automatically be registered to attend this reception.

  • The Cornerstone eNewsletter
    The Cornerstone eNewsletter continues to provide insightful, relevant, and timely topics that will train, educate, and inspire us to do our best work. We will continue to build upon its success and encourage everyone to take the time to open and read each issue. We also encourage you to submit articles, case studies or other information. Look for a call for submissions in each issue.
  • Allied Organizations and Agencies
    In 2008 we continue to expand relationships with allied organizations and agencies, such as National Association of State and Facilities Administrators (NASFA) and its sister organization, the National Association of State Administrators (NASA). We also believe that we can play a role with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) in procurement-related issues. Our collaboration with NASFA has lead to the preliminary development of a Post Occupancy Evaluation tool to assist the industry in validating the results of sustainable design features.
  • Workshops on Project Delivery
    Last year AIA Pubic Architects hosted Project Delivery Workshops in Salt Lake City conjunction with a NASFA regional conference. This workshop focused on project delivery and procurement-related issues. We plan to host more workshops in 2009. More information will be posted on the Public Architects Web site.
  • Public Architecture Online Resources and Databases
    The AIA Public Architects Knowledge Community is pleased to provide the following, ever-expanding, library of resources for those in search of excellent examples of public architecture. We are hopeful that you will assist us with providing your projects for display.


We encourage all members to become engaged through AIA National or through your local AIA component. If you have any questions or comments, or wish to become more involved in the AIA Public Architects Knowledge Community please email publicarchitects@aia.org.

Sincerely,

Gerald W. Hines, AIA
2009 Chair, AIA Public Architects Advisory Group