Hello fellow AIA
Members and Associates. Here is the
latest:
Call
for Nominations
At our last AIA Idaho
Board meeting, a call was made for nominations for officers to the Board. So, it is that time of year where we need
individuals, preferably past presidents of a local component, to step forward and serve a
four-year commitment at the state level. Currently,
we have officer representation from the Central Section (3) and Eastern Section (1), so it
would be complimentary if someone from the Northern or Mountain Sections would serve a
term. Having representation from throughout
the state has been our historical past, so if you have the inclination, we need your
service. I recently discussed with other state chapter presidents how they secure a
continuum of officers in their state. The
response was the president and past president work to secure the next round of nominees. So, if you have held a section office before, be
forewarned, the call is coming. Please contact
past-president Ted Isbell or me if you would like to be considered.
Our
Most Recent Board Meeting
Pete Rockwell and the
Central Section are working to develop a website specific to the architects in that area
of the State. Their site will be funded at
Central Section expense and is being developed with the help of local associate members.
An offer was extended to have the Central Section also host the State web site including a
similar page format. Prior to acting on this
gracious offer, the State Board would like your input, so please visit our current web
site at www.aiaidaho.com and send us your opinions
about accessibility, content, and usefulness. We
intend to revisit the topic at our December Board meeting.
ESCO’s seeking
work in the State, particularly new school projects, continues to be a concern of some of
our membership. Essentially, national
corporations, large contractors, and energy companies, working through the state energy
conservation code are convincing some school districts to initiate building projects
outside of the conventional Quality Based Selection (QBS) and bid procurement procedures
normally witnessed in our State. Through
energy savings over an annualized duration, the corporations are funding the new
construction on behalf of the District, and then seeking repayment for the work from those
savings. Some of our membership believe that
this is not the original intent of the energy conservation measures, nor QBS, so AIA Idaho
has asked our lobbyist Larry Benton to monitor the situation and, if the AIA can offer a
position on the matter, work to clarify or change the code during the next legislative
session. Please call us if you need additional
information or have thoughts about the subject.
Design-build appears
to have become one of the preferred project delivery methods for the State Division of
Public Works. While your State Board currently
has no official position on this latest trend, we have discussed whether the QBS code
anticipated procurement of design and construction services as currently being conducted
by the Division. Construction mangers and
engineers are raising this issue with their respective associations, so we seek your input
as well. Specifically, what do you think of
the State or any public entity selecting a design-build team through a Quality Based
Selection process? Additionally, the Board
asks, what are your thoughts on design-build as a public works delivery process, versus
other delivery methods such as design-bid-build, construction management, and construction
management at risk?
Next year AIA Idaho
will have a call for entries for our biennial design awards program. Ed Daniels of Hummel Architects will be chairing
the event and will be looking for volunteers to assist him.
The design awards are an important aspect of promoting great design and the
capabilities of Idaho architects, so please step forward as we need all the help we can
get. You can contact Ed at eddaniels@hummelarch.com
or (208) 343-7523.
AIA
Northwest and Pacific Region Conference
In September, State
Board members and Idaho architects attended the regional conference in Spokane. The
conference was
surprisingly well
attended and included three days of meetings, seminars, and dialogue amongst our peers
from a diverse geographical region. I attended
two Northwest Board workshops, one a full-day round table discussion, the other the annual
meeting. Some of the more interesting topics
included:
· As a part of their design awards program, Hawaii
has an award category where architecture students choose a winner, much like a People’s
Choice Award. It would be interesting and fun
to let the University of Idaho students weigh in on next year’s design award
submittals!
· Fewer and fewer chapters are relying on a
newsletter. Not surprisingly, the web is the
choice for accessing information about the AIA at the national, regional, and component
level. Some chapters have gone to a simple
postcard mailing for announcing new information on their website and upcoming special
events.
Other ideas
discussed to engage new individuals into service in the AIA included: Blogs on local websites to discuss key issues of
the day and to exchange ideas, hosting of chat rooms for interns and architectural
students, and a new regional level “leadership training” program where young
architects are funded to attend the AIA Grass Roots conference in Washington DC, without
the current necessity of holding a local or component officer role. If you are interested in attending Grass Roots
under this regional program, please contact me, and I will introduce you to the program
director.
Next year the regional
conference is in Hawaii, followed by Alaska (Anchorage) and then South Central Oregon
(Eugene). We were given a preview of each
conference, and they look like great places to experience the local scene, architecture,
and peer interaction, so watch the web site for more details. Unlike the national convention, the regional
conference is an opportunity to network and share common experiences with architects who
live and work in the Northwest for all the same reasons we do. I wholly recommend these conferences as being worth
the financial and time investment.
As always, it is an
honor to serve as your president. If the Board
or I can be of any help to you and your firm, please contact us.
Scott Straubhar AIA
(208) 343-7523
sstraubhar@hummelarch.com