| Volume 15, No. 8 - August 30, 2021 |
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 Like A River Runs, by MODE4 Architecture (more info) |
Demand for Design Activity Continues |
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This issue of BLAST is sponsored by Marvin |
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Congratulations to our 2021 Design Award Winners Winners of our 2021 Design Awards were announced in a virtual celebration which is available for viewing on our Chapter's YouTube channel, along with videos of the jury comments and of all the submitted projects, organized by category.  In addition, we have posted a gallery of the winning projects on our website.Congratulations to our winning firms: Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS; Bowie Gridley Architects; Carter+Burton Architecture PLC; Cook Architecture; Cooper Carry; Cunningham | Quill Architects; FORMA DESIGN Inc.; Gensler; HGA; Hickok Cole; Kerns Group Architects; KGD Architecture; KUBE architecture; Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, Inc.; MTFA Architecture; Perkins+Will; Reader & Swartz Architects, PC; Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect; Shinberg.Levinas Architects; Studio MB; U+ Design Partners; Wiedemann Architects and Wouter Boer Architects. Thank you to our Sponsors: Signature Sponsor: Jacobs Keystone Sponsors: Autodesk Pivot Construction Threshold Sponsors: E.E. Reed Construction-East Coast, LLC Rockfon Scott-Long Construction AIA Northern Virginia Honors Nominations  AIA Northern Virginia is seeking nominations for the Chapter's Honor Awards program. These awards recognize outstanding achievements of our members and colleagues and are given at our Autumn Social in October in the following categories: Award of Honor, Distinguished Leadership, Outstanding Achievement, Service to the Chapter, AIA Northern Virginia Chapter Award, and the Craftsmanship Award. For a description of each award, please visit https://aianova.org/honors.php.Members are encouraged to nominate potential Honor Award recipients. To do so, email your nomination to aianova@aianova.org and provide the nominee's name and contact information, and include a brief narrative (approximately 250 words) and any supporting graphic material. Please also include your name and contact information. Nominations are due by September 6. The Whole Child: Policy, Program, and the Built Environment for Healthy Schools September 9, 12:00-1:30p There are many developmental facets that contribute to the overall wellness of a child, everything from a nutritious diet, physical activity, and access to nature. The policies, research, and grants that make these accessible for all schools are paramount within the educational ecosystem. This session will begin with an abbreviated viewing of the video, The Whole Child: Health and Wellness, followed by a curated panel discussing wellness rated topics from architect-led research collaborations with public health and childhood obesity researchers, to implementation of the WELL Health-Safety Rating to bring back in-person learning with confidence. 1.5 AIA LU | HSW. This virtual event is brought to you free of charge by the AIA Northern Virginia Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE). [Learn More.]  Demand for Design Activity Continues to ExpandThe AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) recorded its sixth consecutive positive month. The ABI score for July was 54.6. While this was down slightly from June’s score of 57.1, it still indicates very strong business conditions overall (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings from the prior month). Scoring for new project inquiries also declined in July but remained near its all-time high at 65.0. The score for new design contracts was essentially unchanged from June to July with a score of 58.0. "In prior business cycles, architecture firms generally saw their project work soften quickly and then recover slowly," said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. "So the strength of this recovery is unprecedented. Firm leaders who have leaned into this economic upturn by reinvesting in their firms by hiring staff and upgrading their technology, will likely have a better year than those that anticipated a slower recovery." Key ABI highlights for July include: • Regional averages: Midwest (58.3); West (56.0); South (54.6); Northeast (54.1) • Sector index breakdown: commercial/industrial (58.4); institutional (55.4); multi-family residential (54.7); mixed practice (54.4) The regional and sector categories are calculated as a three-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts and inquiries are monthly numbers. Visit AIA's website for more ABI information.  Hollin Hills House + Garden TourSeptember 25, 12:00-6:00p Hollin Hills is a mid-century modern neighborhood of 468 homes designed by Charles M. Goodman, FAIA, and constructed between 1949 and 1972 in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County. This unique community has a high degree of integrity and is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district. This self-guided walking tour is organized by the Civic Association of Hollin Hills and will showcase stunning examples of mid-century modern architecture, landscaping, and interior design. If you are interested in being a volunteer docent at one of the mid-century homes during the event, please reach out to Jeff Vandersall, AIA at jvandersall@hksinc.com. To learn more about the tour and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.hollinhillsmodern.com/. Quick Notes... A’22 Call for Proposals due September 19 ... share your innovative work and expertise by presenting a session June 23-25 in Chicago... [info] ... Embodied Carbon 101... getting to zero carbon is the biggest impact we can make on climate change. View this exclusive AIAU series [info]... According to the Bureau of Labor... employment in the architectural services industry totals 195,200 [info] ...  Awards and OpportunitiesAIA Honors Currently Open for Submission: Due September 14 – AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Architectural Education Due September 14 – AIA Associates Award Due September 14 – AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture Due September 14 – Collaborative Achievement Due September 14 – Edward C. Kemper Award Due September 14 – Honorary Membership Due September 14 – Whitney M. Young Jr. Award Due September 14 – Young Architect Award Due October 5 – Fellowship Due October 5 – Honorary Fellowship |
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: MTFA Architecture; MODE4 Architecture; Landis Architects/Builders; Project 308 Design, PLLC; Little Diversified Architectural Consulting; Convene Architecture; MW Architects; and Winstanley Architects & Planners. AIA Northern Virginia Chapter members may post entries free of charge as a benefit of membership. Non-members are billed at a rate of $75 for each entry. 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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Like A River Runs |
 The homeowners of this project, both astute art collectors and architecture aficionados, were interested in designing a renovation and addition to their home, which is one of the most recognizable modern residential projects in the DC metro area, designed by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA. Mr. Gurney’s original glass and steel home included a two-car garage and a gravel wrap-around driveway. The homeowners viewed both areas as opportunities for a new dining room and an exterior garden space.MODE4 Architecture converted the existing garage space into a new dining room/art gallery and reimagined the existing gravel driveway as a new Japanese moss garden with the help of Landscape architect, Scott Pitner. The new dining room looks out onto the moss garden and a sculpture green in the distance. The garden design pulls from the modular grid and finish palette of the original exterior structure, and weaves the natural landscape through its underlying rigid geometry. Chris Tucker, AIA, Principal/Owner of MODE4 Architecture, designed a new procession to the main front entrance, leading the user through the moss garden via a steel and wooden bridge, allowing the homeowners to experience this contemplative space on a daily basis, as they come and go.  Photography © Anice Hoachlander |
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SEPTEMBER CALENDAR 9 | The Whole Child: Policy, Program, and the Built Environment for Healthy Schools 12:00p. [info] 13 | AIA Northern Virginia Board Meeting 4:30p. [info] 17 | Interschool Design Competition [info] 21 | Indoor Air Quality Testing for LEED Certified Projects 12:00p. [info] 22 | Committee Chairs Planning Meeting 5:00p. [info] 23 | CAE Meeting (Committee on Architecture in Education) 12:00p. [info] Upcoming Dates to Note: October 4- Women in Architecture Meeting October 5 - LEED v4 Engineering & Architectural Integrated Design October 19 - AIA Northern Virginia Autumn Social Combined Virginia / West Virginia Event Calendar 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. |