News:
Keeping in Touch with Joplin Recovery
AIA Kansas City continues to be part of the conversation about the rebuilding of Joplin, Missouri. I am grateful to Brandon Dake, the president of AIA Springfield, for his leadership in bringing architects to the table when Joplin city officials and FEMA officials are discussing the plan for rebuilding. Brandon is keeping all of the AIA chapters in our region and AIA National staff apprised of his efforts, as well as coordinating any and all offers of support from AIA members. Special thanks, too, to Trudy Aron, Executive Director of AIA Kansas, for taking time to meet with me and share her vast archive of information related to the Greensburg, KS disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts.
The rapid assessment of buildings was completed in the first week by SAVE-certified architects. That effort was coordinated by Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA, http://sema.dps.mo.gov/). Some of you might have assisted in the building assessment; we’d like to hear from you if you were involved so that we can share your story with our members. One positive outcome of this disaster would be to have more AIA members become SAVE certified to be prepared for the next disaster.
The current focus of AIA Springfield is to advocate for architects being involved in the planning process to rebuild, serving alongside FEMA officials and Joplin officials. The City is looking specifically to FEMA for guidance, but local [Joplin] architects would like the AIA to offer guidance, as well. The Joplin rebuilding scenario resembles that of Greensburg, KS, but with many key differences. Although it appears that the City of Joplin is not seeking the same level of LEED design as was pursued in Greensburg, their familiarity with Greensburg means that some of those players will be involved.
The biggest AIA opportunity appears to be in supporting the City and local architects in the planning process. The AIA National Disaster Recovery Task Force is well versed and experienced in planning and
rebuilding disaster-ravaged areas. It is essential that the AIA National Task Force provide adequate representation to aid the local Joplin architects; otherwise, the City with look to FEMA for planning guidance because of their experience. Brandon believes that “the leadership of Joplin architects will be critical in this planning process and I want to provide them with the national experience that the AIA can offer.”
We have no shortage of expertise and compassion among our AIA members. I look forward to keeping you informed of ways that we can lend a hand.
Dawn Taylor
Executive Director
Mayor James urges Kansas Citians to get involved on the City’s boards and commissions
Kansas City Mayor Sly James invites all residents to get involved in serving the City we call home. As part of his initiative to increase the number of Kansas Citians who participate in their government, Mayor James announced he has made an easy online application available for the City’s boards and commissions.
“I applaud the efforts of everyone who has served our City. The talent and dedication exhibited by the outgoing board members and commissioners is a tribute to our residents. These are volunteer positions, and I know each of them has put in countless hours to make our City great. As we begin a new administration, I invite all Kansas Citians to consider pitching in and helping us move our City forward. This is a great chance to hear new ideas and shape exciting new possibilities. We have already received many great applicants, but I continue to urge everyone to consider applying and serving in these important roles,” said Mayor James.
It is an exciting time for Kansas City and every resident can be a part of it. The City has over 90 boards and commissions in which citizens can serve.
A full list of boards and commissions and the Mayor’s online application is available here:
http://www.kcmo.org/CKCMO/CityOfficials/MayorsOffice/ServingKansasCity/index.htm
If you have questions about the application or appointment process, please email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call the Mayor’s Office at 816-513-3500.
AIA National | Institute Update: What the AIA is Doing for You
At the AIA National Convention in New Orleans in early May, AIA National leadership provided members at the Saturday business meeting with a comprehensive look at the past year’s accomplishments and a look forward to how the AIA will be working for its members in the months ahead. Some highlights:
The state of the AIA is healthy, despite the lingering impact of the Great Recession on the design and construction industry. The tough economy persists for all AIA members, though, and the Institute is redoubling its efforts to see its suffering components and members through to better times. That’s why the AIA will be offering a membership dues installment payment plan for 2012, which will allow new and established members to pay dues over several months.
In the wake of unprecedented natural disasters at home and abroad, the AIA has risen to be a leader in disaster response with a new level of national and international engagement. After Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, the AIA mobilized its Disaster Assistance Task Force, made connections to local architecture groups and associations, and quickly established a landing page presence on AIA.org dedicated to information about the disaster. When deadly tornadoes struck Alabama, vast swaths of the American South, the Midwest, and especially Joplin, Mo., only weeks later, the AIA reached out to make these same kinds of connections.
With the beginning of the integrated media partnership between Hanley Wood and the AIA, 2011 started with a commitment to communicate more fully about all that the AIA and its members do. Too many members don’t fully understand the roles the AIA plays, and clarifying and communicating these messages is a top priority. This partnership brings four magazines into the AIA’s fold (ARCHITECT, residential architect, ecohome, and Eco-Structure), as well as numerous online and multimedia platforms that will help inform members and the wider world of all the initiatives and projects the AIA takes on to elevate the public’s appreciation and understanding of the value of design.
Contract Documents are consistently rated one of the AIA’s most-valued aspects of membership, and the coming year will see them improved in several ways. On the heels of AIA Contract Document’s 100th anniversary, there are two new offerings of particular note:
• New service upgrades available in 2012 will make Contract Documents more accessible, flexible, secure, and affordable.
• The AIA recently released a sustainability guide for contract documents, available for free download.
With mid-term elections dramatically changing the balance of power at the federal and state levels, the government advocacy team has had a very busy year. A few of the most important initiatives:
• The Department of State recently adopted a Design Excellence program for embassy and consulate buildings, shaped by significant AIA input.
• The AIA remains committed to guiding the International Green Construction Code to its completion next year.
• The advocacy team is also focused on increasing tax credits for sustainable design, fighting for qualifications-based selection, Small Business Administration regulations that help architects, and promoting the value of design.
The AIA is dedicated to serving members’ educational needs by making the continuing education process simpler. With the AIA CES Discovery system , tracking of all continuing education credits and programs have been brought in-house. The tracking system and functionality are also improved for the new system, as it’s been transitioned from pen-and-paper to a digital system. More AIA CES Discovery member improvements are planned for later this year.
• There were 227 new continuing education providers added in the first quarter, now making a total of 2700 providers.
• The 2011 AIA convention in New Orleans featured more than 200 continuing education offerings.
Looking ahead, the AIA will continue to strengthen its focus on three strategic priorities: emerging professionals, innovations in collaborative practice like IPD, and making architecture and the AIA’s members a more diverse and representative group.
AIA National’s Integrated Web Strategy and Technology team is a vital part of the AIA’s efforts to support AIA systems and processes, and by extension AIA members. This includes maintenance or upgrades for AIA.org, Contract Documents, CES, and Web product fulfillment. In June, the AIA will unveil a newly upgraded version of netFORUM, the AIA’s association management database. This new version will feature a new look and better functionality, offering a more flexible and personalized interface, and the ability to work with a greater number of Internet browsers. All this hard work earned AIA.org a 2011 Webby Award (an international award honoring excellence on the Internet presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences) in the Associations category.
Continuing work that began last year, the Institute has been repurposing component relations positions to enhance component support, communications, resources, and training. The development of a “4Cs Commission” (collaboration, communication, continuity, clarity) to ensure that AIA leadership, CACE executives, and AIA staff are collaborating in the most effective way remains a high priority. Working together, these four concepts will lead to stronger relationships between AIA National and its components, and a better functioning Institute.
ARCHITECT | AIA Offers Preview of New Document Service
Online service aims to make contract documents more accessible, affordable.
The AIA demonstrated its new, as-yet-unreleased contract document service on Friday afternoon.
Maan Hashem of AIA Contract Documents led the presentation, describing some of the new and enhanced capabilities that the service will support. As an online service, it will make documents accessible anytime, anywhere, for both PC and Mac users. It has enhanced security features—data encryption and two-factor log-in authentication—and new tools, including one that helps users choose the right document template by asking a series of questions (about project size, delivery method, and so on).
An online editor function will allow users to track changes or insert clauses from a clause library, as well as share drafts with collaborators simply by emailing a url (collaborators will be able to see and edit the document in the online editor, as well). The service also makes purchasing contract documents more flexible, and potentially more affordable, by offering individual documents on a pay-as-you-go basis and “bundles” of documents that certain professions are most likely to use (contractor bundle, architect bundle, etc.), rather than an annual subscription.
The service will be available in the first quarter of 2012.
ARCHITECT | AIA 2030 Commitment: An Update
Two years after the AIA created its voluntary program to help firms commit to sustainable design, how’s it going?
Two years ago, the AIA launched the 2030 Commitment, a voluntary program for member firms that asks them to take discrete, definite steps toward aligning their work with the goal of achieving carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030. Last year, the institute released an Excel-based program to help firms that have signed on report their progress to the AIA.
How’s that working out? About as well as could be expected, reported Kelly Pickard, AIA manager of strategic initiatives, at the session “The AIA 2030 Commitment: Measuring Industry Progress Toward 2030.” Although 125 firms were expected to submit report (at press time, the number of firms that have signed on totaled 170), Pickard said, only 56 did, a 48 percent response rate. “We were a little disappointed,” she said, quickly pointing out that this was the first year reporting was available to firms. From the data provide by the firms that did submit reports, Pickard offered a few noteworthy numbers:
• Total gross square footage of active 2030 Commitment-compliant projects: 385 million (Pickard noted that these are “on the board” and not yet actually built)
• Average project energy use reduction: 35.1 percent (high: 70.6 percent; low: 11.6 percent)
• Active projects meeting current 2030 Commitment goal of 60 percent energy reduction: 12.1 percent
• Gross square footage being modeled: 58 percent
Commenting on this final number, Pickard noted that enegy modeling is something many architecture firms do not have experience in. To assist them, the AIA will be offering a practitioner’s guide as well as an educational video on energy modeling. Both will be available on the AIA website.
infozine | KCMO Adopts Gold LEED Building Standard
“This modification makes Kansas City one of just three cities in the United States that has formally adopted this level of building standards for its own construction projects.”
The City of Kansas City, Mo., has adopted revised construction standards for City projects based on the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This change recognizes the increasing trend of Kansas City area architectural projects to adopt LEED certification standards, and builds upon the success of many recent City building projects that have exceeded the requirements for a LEED Silver rating.
“The architectural community’s response to sustainable building design in Kansas City is very encouraging, as it demonstrates this region’s commitment to thinking beyond today,” said Councilwoman Cindy Circo. “By adopting the higher LEED Gold Standard, the City sets a great example that increases momentum for responsible design that benefits generations to come.”
Earnings Tax Vote
April 5, 2011
Important Ballot Measure
We have received requests from a few of our members to help raise awareness of the earnings tax vote coming up on April 5. While AIA Kansas City does not have an official position on this ballot item, we do encourage our members residing in Kansas City, MO to become informed about this important issue and to be civically engaged by casting your vote on April 5.
It is worth reminding AIA Kansas City members on both sides of the state line that this is a large issue facing residents of Kansas City, MO, business owners in Kansas City, and residents from other municipalities who are employed in Kansas City, MO.
At their request, we are posting the opinions of two of our members, both of whom favor a “yes” vote on this issue. We welcome opposing positions from chapter members and will post up to two in next Monday’s (April 5) Building Blocks, should we receive any.
Keep Kansas City’s Earnings Tax, by Kite Singleton, FAIA (edited for length)
Only citizens of Kansas City, Missouri are eligible to vote in the Earnings Tax Election on Tuesday, April 5th, and there is no question that it is to their benefit to vote in favor of keeping this tax in effect.
Approximately 50% of this tax is paid by non-citizens who live elsewhere but work within Kansas City, Missouri’s boundaries. If those non-residents were to no longer pay their share of this tax, the Earnings Tax that a Kansas City citizen now pays will have to double to maintain the many vital city services which are supported by this revenue.
Some say that it’s not fair for non-residents to pay this Earnings Tax. But these non-residents are here every working day and often visit at other times, benefiting from police and fire protection, clean water and sewer service, the world-renowned park and boulevard system, and a host of other amenities.
Let’s keep in mind that it is the whole Kansas City region that competes across the nation and around the world for prestige, business growth, and economic development. Let’s make sure that the center of that larger community maintains its fiscal integrity and a key position in promoting the health of the Kansas City region as a whole.
Kansas City’s earnings tax, by Alex Ogata, AIA (edited for length)
For almost 50 years, Kansas City has depended on the e-tax to provide essential City services to those who live, work, and play in our City.
Today, the e-tax accounts for nearly 40% of our City’s general fund-approximately $200M. City services that depend on the general fund include: police and fire protection, 911 call centers, ambulance services, street maintenance and improvements, parks and boulevards, community centers, trash collection and recycling.
Eliminating the e-tax would result in the loss of roughly $80M in annual revenue from nonresidents. To make up for this difference, the City will be forced to increase property taxes.
No e-tax means higher property and utility taxes for Kansas Citians.
Eliminating e-tax revenue jeopardizes the health, safety, and well-being of Kansas City. It would drastically reduce essential services and eliminate funding for many arts, cultural, and social service programs. No e-tax could mean the freeze or cancellation of design and construction projects funded by the City.
You might also find these articles helpful as you evaluate this issue:
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/blog/2011/03/kansas-city-earnings-tax.html
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2011/02/25/freedom-pac-forms-to-repeal-earnings-tax.html
AIA Members Committed to Providing Assistance
Over the past week, AIA members, components, and leaders have responded to the disaster in Japan with heartfelt messages and offers of assistance. To help organize and focus these expressions across the larger architectural community, the AIA launched a web page to gather and quickly communicate new information, on efforts underway individually and within components; and to identify possible needs in the next phase of Japan’s recovery.
AIA Kansas City Member Receives 2011 AIA Young Architects Award
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the 11 recipients of the 2011 AIA Young Architects Award. Young Architects are defined as professionals who have been licensed 10 years or fewer regardless of their age. This award honors individuals who have shown exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the profession early in their careers. The Young Architects Award will be presented to the recipients at the AIA 2011 National Convention and Design Exposition in New Orleans.
AIA Kansas City is please to announce that member, Amy Slattery, AIA is a recipient of the 2011 AIA Young Architects Award. Slattery is known for her energy, daily rigor, and ability to see and coordinate many issues concurrently. A recognized leader amongst her peers, Amy was named Emerging Professional of the Year by AIA Kansas City in 2008.
Click here to read more on Amy’s accomplishments.
Click here to read about the 2011 AIA Young Architects Award.
AIA Kansas City Announces the Elevation of Two Members to Fellowship
AIA Kansas City is proud to announce that two of our members, Joy Swallow, FAIA, chair of UMKC’s Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design and Reeves Wiedeman, FAIA, Principal at Helix Architecture + Design, will be elevated to the College of Fellows.
AIA elevated 104 architects to its prestigious College of Fellows, an honor awarded to members who have made contributions of national significance to the profession.
Out of a membership of over 80,000, there are fewer than 2,700 AIA members distinguished with the honor of fellowship. It is conferred on architects with at least 10 years of membership in the AIA who have made significant contributions in the following areas: the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession; the standards of architectural education, training, and practice; the building industry through leadership in the AIA and other related professional organizations; advancement of living standards of people through an improved environment; and to society through significant public service.
The new Fellows will be invested in the College of Fellows at the 2011 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in New Orleans on May 13.