| Volume 14, No. 6 - November 6, 2020 |
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 Fairfax Net Zero, by Peabody Architects (more info) |
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This issue of BLAST is sponsored by Mosaic Express |
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AIA Northern Virginia Reduces Dues for 2021 Recognizing that 2020 has been a challenging year and that many are apprehensive about 2021, the AIA Northern Virginia Board voted to reduce chapter dues for 2021. This reduction rolls back dues amounts to our 2018 level for Architects and our 2016 level for Associates. AIA has recently mailed invoices and you are able to renew your membership online, by phone, or by mail. Dues installment plans are available and allow you to pay your dues in up to 6 monthly installments. New members can take advantage of 15 for 12, getting the rest of this year free when they join now for 2021. The AIA also offers complimentary membership for New Grads. Learn more about these incentives. AIA Virginia / Northern Virginia Town Hall on November 13 Discover what the Virginia experience is for AIA members. Learn about the resources, services, programs, and leadership opportunities available to you as a member of AIA Virginia and AIA Northern Virginia. Share what is important to you as a member, provide feedback, ask questions, and offer suggestions in small group discussions. Please join us!  Young Architects Forum Begins Lecture Series YAF is offering a lecture series that builds upon the national discussion around racial and social injustices as it relates to the architecture profession. The series will showcase speakers who have pulled from their background and experience to better serve their community through their unique perspective on design. The first presentation of the series, on November 12, features Teri Canada, AIA, a founding principal and project manager at Evoke. [Learn more] Architectural Billings Show Slight Improvement AIA’s Architectural Billings Index (ABI) score for September was 47.0 compared to 40.0 in August (any score below 50 indicates a decline in firm billings). Last month’s score indicates overall revenue at U.S architecture firms continued to decline from August to September, however, the pace of decline slowed significantly. Inquiries into new projects during September grew for the second time since February, with a score of 57.2 compared to 51.6 in August. The value of new design contracts moderated to a score of 48.9 in September from 46.0 the previous month. Key ABI figures for September include:
Chapter Honor Awards & Elections Featured at Autumn Social  In case you missed our first virtual Autumn Social on October 20, you can watch the event on the Chapter's YouTube Channel.The highlight of the evening was the presentation of our Chapter Honor Awards:
Executive Committee:
AIA Virginia Directors: Karen Conkey, AIA; Eliza Engle, AIA; Christopher Kehde, AIA; Spencer Lepler, AIA; Maury Saunders, AIA; and Stephen Wakeman, AIA Thank you to T.J. Meehan, AIA and John A. Burns, FAIA as they conclude their terms. A special thank you to our 2020 Autumn Social Sponsors: Fairfax County Announces Design Award Winners The James M. Scott Exceptional Design Awards program recognizes outstanding planning and design projects recently completed in the county. The program is sponsored by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and administered by the County's Department of Planning and Development in cooperation with the County Architectural Review Board and the AIA Northern Virginia Chapter. Learn more about the program and view images of the winning projects on the awards website. Awards of Honor:
Quick Notes... AIA Film Challenge 2020... winners announced. This year's Challenge spotlights architects partnering with communities to design a healthy, sustainable, just world [info]... AIA Trust offers new healthcare coverage... options are available for both individuals and firms [info]... ARE online proctoring option... launches December 14, along with several important changes to exam navigation, timing, and tools [info]... Awards and Opportunities Due November 16 – Green Builder Sustainability Awards 2021 Due November 20 – AIA Northern Virginia Student Scholarship Applications Upcoming AIA National Honors & Awards Programs
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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: Convene Architecture, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Loudoun County Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, MTFA Architecture, Maginniss + del Ninno Architects, and Cawood Architecture PLLC. While always free for Chapter members, we are waiving all Job Board fees to share as many job opportunities as we can. We also maintain a resume library and share resumes with firms that are hiring. So please send us your resume to us at aianova@aianova.org. |
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Fairfax Net Zero |
 This client wanted a beautiful modern home. But they also wanted to model in their community the responsible way to build in a time of climate emergency. Their budget required tough choices, yet they never compromised their basic goal of energy neutrality.Achieving energy neutrality on this small corner site required a truly integrated design: one that minimized energy demand and maximized energy production. The play between these two drivers, with assiduous energy modeling of the cost trade-offs, inform the entire design, affecting siting, form and fenestration. Minimizing energy demand required a Passive House approach. Maximizing solar PV required maximizing south-facing roofs. For Passive design purposes, the massing had to be as compact as possible to achieve an optimal surface:volume ratio. For solar generation purposes, as much roof area as possible had to face south. The solution was to break a cube into three parts. Two blocks with saw tooth roofs provide the requisite area for solar PV. These are connected by a third block – the central circulation space through the middle of the house. High, motorized north-facing clerestory windows light the space and foster natural ventilation throughout the house. The garage and house are sited to maximize solar exposure, to define a small private courtyard off the living area, and to orient towards the park across the street. A garden with over 40 native plant species facing both streets is open to the view of neighborhood walkers. 
Exterior Photography © David Peabody, AIA; Interior Photography © Stacy Zarin Goldberg |
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NOVEMBER CALENDAR 6 | 2021 ELA Class Nominations Due [info] 11 | Professional Panel 6:30p. [info] 12 | YAF Lecture Series: Invisible Frames 5:30p. [info] 13 | AIA Virginia / Northern Virginia Town Hall 12:00p. [info] 19 | CAE Meeting (Committee on Architecture in Education) 5:30p. [info] 20 | AIA Northern Virginia Scholarship Applications Due [info] 21 | AIA NOVA Board Retreat & Committee Chairs Meeting 9:00a. [info] Upcoming Dates to Note: December 2 - WIA Mentorship Pairing Program Begins December 7 - WIA Committee Meeting / Holiday Party Combined Virginia / West Virginia Event Calendar NEW – Now you can find all the webinars and architecture events in the region in one place. AIA chapters across Virginia and West Virginia are contributing to a combined calendar on the Inform Magazine site. 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 aianova@aianova.org. The Chapter House is located at 1101 Duke Street, Alexandria 22314. |