Take Me Out to the Ballgame

WAAC Internship Fair

Building Code Workshop : July 30

AIA Updates

Featured Project:
  Parks, Recreation + Cultural Center

Calendar

Visit the AIA Northern Virginia Website

Since its inception, the faculty and administration at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Consortium has encouraged its students to go out into the professional community to seek part-time employment while studying at the center. This academic encouragement has been successful as many of the students work part-time during their career at the WAAC. And many of them continue working full-time at those same firms during the summer and upon graduation. As students at WAAC, we are in a unique position to take advantage of the professional opportunities that the Washington DC area can provide.

This past year, students at the WAAC formed a local chapter of the AIAS. As part of its mission, the AIAS WAAC provides a link between the professional and academic communities. Through activities last year, such as the portfolio review, the AIAS began reaching out to the professional community in ways that benefit students. This coming year, the AIAS plans to continue providing this link to the professional community through an Internship Fair.

We invite local architecture firms to participate in this year’s Internship Fair to be held at the WAAC on September 12, 2008. During this half day event you will have an opportunity to meet with upper-level undergraduate and graduate architecture students from universities such as Virginia Tech, Cal Poly, University of Mendoza in Argentina, and Weimar University in Germany – all of whom are looking for a part-time position for the upcoming academic year. The fee to participate, which goes to support the budget of the AIAS WAAC, is $200 per table. As space is limited, please express your interest as soon as possible.

For additional information or to reserve space, Virginia firms please contact Beth Barrett and DC/Maryland Firms please contact Brian Sykes.

AIA Northern Virginia and the City of Alexandria are organizing a six-hour hands-on code training workshop designed to teach architects, engineers and building officials the new and extensive regulations concerning wall bracing for residential construction. The material is derived from the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC), Section R 602.10, as amended by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Local expert Brian Foley, with the Building Plan Review and Permits Division of the Fairfax County, and Charles Bajnai, Chief of Residential Plan Review for Chesterfield County, will present the workshop.

The workshop in on July 30, from 8:00a – 3:00p at James K. Polk Elementary School, 5000 Polk Avenue, Alexandria 22304. Map and directions here.

Six AIA/CES HSW learning units are offered for those participating. Attendance is free. Participants are welcome to bring their own food and drink. Coffee and bagels will be provided in the morning. There is an option to order a box lunch at a cost of $15. Lunches must be pre-ordered by noon on Monday, July 28. For complete information on lunch selection and ordering, click here.

Advance registration is appreciated. To register, please send an e-mail to reservations@aianova.org and include your name, AIA number (if applicable), company name, address, phone and e-mail.

Parks, Recreation + Cultural Resources Center
Arlington, VA
The Lukmire Partnership, Inc.

Arlington County has been encouraging the use of green building components since it adopted the LEED® Green Building Rating System in 1999. In fact, when it comes to the design and construction of county buildings, achieving Silver LEED® Certification is a requirement.

So when The Lukmire Partnership was awarded the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Center (PRCR) project in 2003, this was a primary goal. The Lukmire Partnership completed the building late 2007 and was recently notified that it has received Silver LEED® Certification.

The first new facility to be constructed in the redeveloped Arlington County Trades Center, the 32,000 sf facility serves as the base of operations for the PRCR administrative and operations staff, who maintain Arlington’s nearly 200 parks and playgrounds.

A two-story L- shaped building, it features administration and training areas on the top floor and shops and common areas on the ground floor. In response to the size and shape of the site, and the fact that all ground floor operations needed truck access, the building is only 40-feet-wide with a clear height in all shops of 16 feet. There are seven individual trade shops on the ground floor, each with their own environmental controls.

The second story is an open flexible space spanned with heavy timber trusses and a clerestory running the length of the floor. The majority of staff are in open workstations, allowing everyone an exterior view and natural light. All windows are operable for natural ventilation. It also has a meeting room that can hold 400 people for county-wide gatherings.

Green features include natural clerestory lighting, auto sensors, certified wood ceilings, natural stone, a green roof, and four cisterns to capture rainwater for watering landscaping throughout the county.

The Lukmire Partnership, headquartered in Arlington, VA, with offices in Annapolis, MD, is committed to sustainable design and has won numerous design and energy awards for its projects.

July 24 - Property Condition Assessments
Noon-1:00p, at ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC, 3859 Centerview Drive, Suite 500, Chantilly. Presentation provides valuable information on the condition of a property for the purpose of purchasing, selling, or refinancing. Items discussed will include requirements noted in ASTM E 2018, Property Condition Assessments, Baseline Property Condition Assessment Process. Presented by ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC. 1 AIA/CES HSW. Lunch provided. Registration required; space limited to 20 participants. Contact mdoyle@ecslimited.com.

July 30 - Braced Walls Building Code Workshop
8:00a-3:00p, at Polk Elementary School, Alexandria. Six-hour course designed to teach architects, engineers and building officials the new and extensive regulations concerning wall bracing for residential construction. See the article above for more information.

August 4 - Metro Directory Firm Profile Form Due
A new form must be completed each year to be included in the Metro Directory of Architecture & Design Firms. Profile forms were mailed in late June. One person from each firm must complete the form and return it to Dawson Publications, not the Chapter House, by August 4. If you have any questions, please e-mail aianova@aianova.org.

August 17 - AIA Day at the Nationals Ballpark
1:35p game time. Bring friends and family to enjoy a day at the new Nationals Ballpark with fellow AIA members from all three metro area Chapters. See the Nationals play the Colorado Rockies. See the article above for more information.

September 13 - How To Work With An Architect Workshop
10:00a, at the Chapter House, 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria. A workshop, aimed at potential clients, offering an overview of the design and construction process for residential projects. Features Randall Mars, AIA, with Randall Mars Architects in McLean. To register, e-mail reservations@aianova.org.

Upcoming
There are several interesting continuing education opportunities coming this fall, including BIMStrom, a Design Build Webinar, a double lunch seminar on Terrazzo and Wall Systems / Air Barriers, and a Sustainable and Energy Efficient Building Envelope Workshop. Registration is already available for all of these events. For additional information, visit the Chapter's continuing education page.