Volume 1, No. 6 - May 30, 2007
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DPOR Rolls Out New Stamp Requirements for Virginia Architects
The APELSCIDLA (Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects) updated its regulations on February 1, 2007. The complete text is available on the board’s website here.
One new regulation requires a slight modification to the text that needs to appear on APELSCIDLA seals. The seals must now include “Lic.” Or “Cert.” to help distinguish plans submitted by licensed versus certified professionals. For most, who generate their seals from software, the text need only be modified to include “Lic.” or “Cert.” For those using a rubber stamp or embossed seal, a new seal including the new text is required.
Complete information, including sample seal images, is available at http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/dporweb/apels_seal.pdf. For questions and additional information, call the Licensing Section at (804) 367-8506 or 367-8512.
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First Modifications to Original Opera House Design Completed, Retrofitting for Accessibility Next
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The current modifications to the exterior are the first in the history of the Opera House
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Cranes and construction fences are up along the western side of the Sydney Opera House for the second time in as many years. Work on a new colonnade servicing some of the smaller performance spaces was completed about sixteen months ago, and a two-phase accessibility program is underway now. Both the colonnade and the planned ramps and elevators were designed by Jørn Utzon, the once-exiled architect of the Opera House.
The reconciliation between the two comes as a surprise to some considering the acrimony with which the previous relationship ended. Utzon was hired in 1999 by the Sydney Opera House Trust to "ensure that any future changes to the Sydney Opera House or its site will be consistent with Utzon's design principles," according to Trust Chairman Joseph Skrzynski. He was retained to develop a "hundred-year plan" for the future of the building.
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The colonnade was the second major project undertaken by Utzon and his son, Jan Utzon. The first was a new reception hall, which was the first interior space designed by Utzon (the original interiors were designed by Australian architect Peter Hall after Utzon's departure in 1966). The colonnade is the first exterior work done on the building in its history, opened in February 2006 by Queen Elizabeth II. The accessibility project has a targeted 2009 completion date.
Said Utzon of the appointment, "it is a wonderful opportunity to play a further role in the life of this building, which has been an inseparable part of my life."
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Photos by Matt Shuba
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Matching AIA National Funds Allow Greater Scholarship Opportunities from Golf Tournament
This year, proceeds from the 4th Annual AIA Northern Virginia Golf Tournament will go towards a general scholarship fund that in the past has been awarded to a student at Virginia Tech's Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, most recently given to Carolina Dayer.
This year, AIA Northern Virginia will raise the amount of the scholarship from $1,000 to $2,000. Additionally, because the scholarship has been maintained for three consecutive years, it is eligible to receive additional funds from AIA National, bringing the total amount to be distributed to $3,000.
This year's Tournament is being held at Bull Run Golf Club in Haymarket (directions). Once again, this successful event is headed by Golf Committee Chair Keith Whitener of Milestone Construction Services, Inc. (see feature below). Registration and driving range open at 9:00a; play begins at 10:00a. Lunch, cocktail hour and dinner are included. $175 per person or $700 per foursome. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Please visit the golf page of the AIA Northern Virginia website or download the registration form here.
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Snyder Residence
Alexandria, VA
Amestudio, Inc |
Light serves as the inspiration of this residential renovation in Alexandria, Virginia. The client, a successful Georgetown developer, initially requested a 2-storey rear addition to accommodate a larger kitchen and master bathroom. The design solution places this program on the front of the house in the form of a glass façade. This aluminum-framed façade contains steel frames for the stairs and entry loggia. Creating a transparent stair along the façade allows the kitchen to grow into the space vacated by the former stair. On the second floor, the master bath is discretely tucked behind an internal frosted-glass façade.
The glass façade provides natural daylighting & views to the wooded site. It also establishes a hierarchy to the house’s gabled volumes while articulating the entry. In the evening, the glowing façade welcomes guests to social functions. A variety of specialty glass is employed, ranging from frosted glass to glass laminated with colored films and rice-paper. Commercial materials such as aluminum and steel are juxtaposed with limestone, beech, and wenge to create a balance of beauty and comfort. This material palette allows the treatment of light to create spaces of serenity or drama, depending on the occasion.
You can view additional images and projects at www.amestudio.com |
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June 2 - ARE Prep Series: Mechanical, Electrical + Plumbing I
10:00a-2:00p at DMJM Design, 3101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 900, Arlington. The Young Architects Forum of the Northern Virginia Chapter AIA presents the first of two seminars on the Mechanical, Electrical + Plumbing division of the 2007 ARE Prep Seminars. In addition, the YAF is organizing study groups that will meet weekly to share resources and discuss the seminar material. Please visit the ARE Page of the AIA Northern Virginia website for more information.
June 6 through July 2 - "Paint" Alexandria Plein Air Exhibit
On display through July 2nd at The Art League Gallery in the Torpedo Factory, 105 North Union Street in Alexandria. To help the AIA celebrate its 150th anniversary, the AIA Northern Virginia Chapter will work in conjunction with the Art League on their annual “Paint” Alexandria Plein Air Event & Show. This exhibit will showcase the work from the two-day Plein Air Workshops, featuring the “Paint” Alexandria theme.
June 9 - ARE Prep Series: Mechanical, Electrical + Plumbing II
10:00a-2:00p at DMJM Design, 3101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 900, Arlington. The Young Architects Forum of the Northern Virginia Chapter AIA presents the second of two seminars on the Mechanical, Electrical + Plumbing division of the 2007 ARE Prep Seminars. In addition, the YAF is organizing study groups that will meet weekly to share resources and discuss the seminar material. Please visit the ARE Page of the AIA Northern Virginia website for more information.
June 9 - AIA Northern Virginia Design Awards Gala
6:00p at the Capital One Lecture Hall and Conference Center in McLean. The keynote speaker is Michael Farewell, FAIA, Design Principal of Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, Princeton, NJ. The evening will also feature a presentation on the Capital One Lecture Hall & Conference Center, presented by Yves Springuel, AIA, with Mancini Duffy, and John Jessen, AIA, with VOA Associates, Inc. Please visit the Design Awards Gala page of the AIA Northern Virginia website for more information.
June 11 - Chapter Board Meeting
4:30p-6:00p, at the Chapter House, 205 S Patrick Street, Old Town Alexnadria
June 12 - Newseum Tour
6:30p. Participants will meet in the park across the street from the construction site, at Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street, NW. The tour, lead by Chris Mallin of Turner Construction, will focus on construction progress at the Newseum. 2 AIA/CES HSW LUs. Organized by the AIA Northern Virginia Young Architects Forum. For reservations, e-mail reservations@aianova.org.
June 14 - Architecture Speaker Series in Arlington: Making Green Beautiful
7:00p - 9:00p, at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theater, 1611 North Kent Street, Arlington. Explore how sustainable architecture can contribute to design excellence in the civic realm, while creating energy efficient, resource efficient, and environmentally sensitive buildings where people live, work, and play. 2 AIA/CES HSW LUs available. Free; registration not required.
June 20 - AIA Northern Virginia Lunch Seminar
Noon-1:00p, at the Chapter House, 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria. The presentation will provide an overview of emerging trends and issues relating to movable walls. Topics include sustainable qualities, acoustic properties, low life-cycle costs, aesthetics, and flexibility of movable walls. 1 AIA/CES HSW LU. Free. Registration is required. Contact AIA NOVA at reservations@aianova.org or (703) 549-9747.
June 21 - AIA Northern Virginia Golf Tournament
At the Bull Run Golf Club. Please see the complete story above.
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Milestone Construction Services, Inc.
21495 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 300, Sterling, VA 20166
Silver Sponsor |
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We are quality people who deliver quality service. Milestone’s business philosophy emphasizes personal integrity and we view our commitments as uncompromising professional obligations.
For more information, please visit us on the web at www.MilestoneConstruction.com or call (703) 406-0960
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