| Volume 13, No. 3 - March 28, 2019 |
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 Stringfellow Transit Center, by Ritter Norton Architects (more info) |
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This issue of BLAST is sponsored by Western Window Systems |
The 2019 AIA Northern Virginia Design Awards Call for Entries is open. Projects can be submitted in seven categories: Commercial Architecture, Commercial Interiors, Conceptual/Unbuilt Architecture, Herlong Associates Award, Historic Architecture, Institutional Architecture, and Residential Architecture. Last year 24 projects were recognized with design awards. We will again host two separate juries, one for Commercial, Institutional and Historic projects and a separate jury for Residential and Conceptual/Unbuilt architecture, along with our Herlong Award, a design award for Associate members. Submittals are due Thursday, April 18, 5:00p. |
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Architecture Week April 20-28 We celebrate Architecture Week with a variety of lectures, tours and activities geared towards architects and the public alike during this week, including a sketching workshop, children’s activities, yoga, and an exhibit at the Torpedo Factory. Many events are free and provide continuing education credits. For a list of Architecture Week activities, visit our Architecture Week page or refer to the calendar below. Travel Sketches - Call for Entries Showcase your sketches! Many talented architects record what they see through sketching. As part of Architecture Week, we are organizing a juried exhibit of sketches submitted by architects living or practicing in the Northern Virginia area. Sketches are to be submitted in electronic format. They will be judged by artists from the Torpedo Factory. Selected sketches will then be featured on the Chapter's website during Architecture Week. Details are available on our website. Small Firms and Women in Architecture Committees Kick-Off Lecture Series  On April 4, the Small Firm Roundtable will begin its series of lunch-time presentations with Sustainable Operation Restrooms and Code-Compliant Partitions presented by Mike Clancy with Arch Resources. This two-hour session takes place at the Chapter House and offers HSW credit. Register now.Then the seventh annual Women in Architecture Lecture Series begins on April 25 with a panel discussion on Gender Equity and the Built Environment. Is our built environment gender inclusive? How do we promote gender equity through the design of our built environment? Be part of the conversation and register here. City of Alexandria Offers Free Code Training As part of Alexandria's Building Safety Month, the Alexandria Code Administration is offering free ICC training on April 26 – Significant Changes to the ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standard – 2017 Edition. This course offers an overview and in-depth coverage of the changes from the 2003 to the 2009 A117.1 Accessibility Standard. It identifies important changes in organization, accessibility standard requirements and the applicability of these requirements to design, plan review and inspection. The session takes place from 8:00a-3:00p at Alexandria City Hall. Continuing education credit and lunch are provided. Reservations are required. Learn more here. Quick Notes... AIA's Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for February was 50.3... down from 55.3 in January [info]... Latest AIA Home Design Trends Survey is now available... identifying trends in neighborhood and community design, along with residential business conditions [info]... Free Membership for New Grads... receive up to 18 months of FREE membership. Students can pre-join now to automatically become a member upon graduation [info]... Our ARE Prep Series... continues with Project Planning and Design on April 20, followed by Project Development and Documentation on May 11 and Construction and Evaluation on June 22 [info]... Awards and Opportunities Due April 2 – Alexandria City Council Seeking Applicants for Boards, Commissions, and Committees Due April 15 – AIA National Photography Competition Submissions Due April 18 – AIA Northern Virginia Design Awards Submittals Due April 26 – RAIC International Prize for Transformative Architecture Due May 31 – ARCHITEXX Call for Student Films about Women Due June 24 – AIA Architecture Award Submissions |
Design News
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| Job Board As a benefit to our members, we maintain a Job Board of local postings. Pay us a visit for postings from: HLR Architects; West Workshop; Bowie Gridley Architects; National Council of Architectural Registration Boards; MW Architects LLC; HLR Architects; KGA STUDIO at KERNS GROUP ARCHITECTS; Bowie Gridley Architects; ROKK Architecture; Cunningham Quill Architects; George Mason University; MV+A Architects; Bowie Gridley Architects; and Little. |
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Stringfellow Transit Center |
 "A modest public facility that tries for architecture with each design decision."This project was a joint effort between the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Fairfax County Department of Transportation. Its purpose was to reduce vehicular traffic on a major commuter artery leading into Washington, D.C. by facilitating access from cars and bicycles to buses. Since the necessary building and bicycle storage was so small, the architect placed all three spaces under one continuous canopy thus giving them more presence on the site, commensurate with their importance. An asymmetrical butterfly roof was chosen as a welcoming gesture and to establish a threshold between the worlds of private and public transportation. The canopy is supported by a row of steel columns and is made stable by steel tension rods that connect the tips of opposing beams. The structure is independent of the enclosed spaces below. The rooms under the canopy are enclosed with curtain walls - the public space has clear glass and bright metal frames. The private spaces are enclosed with very dark glass and spandrel panels with black metal frames. The total increase in impervious area greatly increased the volume of storm water. This problem was resolved by using permeable concrete for the new paving and bio-retention filter ponds. This facility is certified LEED® Silver, met the established budget and was completed on schedule.  Photography © Daniel Cunningham, Photographer |
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APRIL CALENDAR 1 | Women in Architecture Committee Meeting 6:00p, Washington. [info] 2 | Committee Chairs Planning Meeting 6:30p, Alexandria. [info] 4 | Sustainable Operation Restrooms and Code-Compliant Partitions 11:00a, Alexandria. [info] 6 | Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Training 8:00a, Arlington. [info] 8 | AIA Northern Virginia Board Meeting 4:30p, Alexandria. [info] 9 | Travel Sketches - Submissions Due 5:00p. [info] 12 | Design Awards Committee Meeting 12:00p, Alexandria. [info] 17 | 360 Mentoring General Session 4 6:00p, Arlington. [info] 18 | Design Award Entries Due 5:00p. [info] 20 | ARE Exam Series: Project Planning and Design 10:00a, Arlington. [info] 20-28 | Architecture at its Best: An Exhibit of Projects by Local Architects [info] 20 | Plein-Air Sketching Workshop 1:00p, Arlington. [info] 23 | Building Tour: Patrick Henry PreK‐8 School & Recreation Center 5:00p, Alexandria. [info] 24 | STEM/STEAM Program for Children 4:00p, Alexandria. [info] 24 | On the Boards Presentation Alexandria. [info] 24 | Building Tour: St. Augustine Episcopal Church Washington. [info] 25 | Gender Equity & the Built Environment - WIA Lecture Series Part I 6:00p, Washington. [info] 25 | Preserving our Recent Past: Conservation and the Future of Twentieth Century Buildings 6:00p, Alexandria. [info] 26 | Significant Changes to the ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standard - 2009 Edition 8:00a, Alexandria. [info] 26 | Building Tour: Legacy West End Washington. [info] 27 | Building Tour: Gables Old Town North 10:00a, Alexandria. [info] 27 | Building Tour: Oatlands Historic House and Gardens Tour 10:00a, Leesburg. [info] 27 | Architecture Scavenger Hunt for Children 11:00a, Alexandria. [info] 27 | Scrap City - Family Activities in Alexandria Noon, Alexandria. [info] 27 | Washington Alexandria Architecture Center Tour 2:00p, Alexandria. [info] 27 | Skyline Yoga [info] 28 | Walking Tour: Historic Church Architecture in Alexandria 1:00p, Alexandria. [info] 28 | Scrap City - Family Activities in Arlington 2:00p, Arlington. [info] 30 | Trends in Aging In Place Design 6:00p, Vienna. [info] Upcoming Dates to Note: May 11 - ARE: Project Development and Documentation June 6-8 - A'19: AIA Conference on Architecture June 13 - Design Awards Celebration AIA Northern Virginia Calendar | AIA|DC Calendar | AIA Potomac Valley Calendar | AIA Virginia Calendar | Branch Museum Calendar For additional information on any of these events, please contact the Chapter House at (703) 549-9747 or aianova@aianova.org. The Chapter House is located at 1101 Duke Street, Alexandria 22314. |