| Volume 2, No. 13 - October 16, 2008 |
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 Duncan Avenue Apartments, by Little (more info) |
 Featured Project: Arkansas Duncan |
| Today: Small Firms Roundtable will Consider the Local Economy Over Lunch |
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Coming Soon Our Annual Chapter Dinner on October 30 |
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We're planning a casual, fun evening at the Crystal City Sports Pub in Arlington. Tickets to attend are only $30, half the cost of last year's dinner. Enjoy the company of fellow members and celebrate the accomplishments of several of your colleagues as we honor the service of Chapter members and allied professionals with our Chapter Honor Awards. Participate in the governance of the Chapter by electing our officers and directors for 2009 and by voting on the proposed bylaws. Information on the candidates running for office is available in the September/October Issue of AIA Northern Virginia News, and additional information on the proposed bylaws is included in the next section. We have reserved the entire third floor of the restaurant which features 3 large projection screen TVs and 34 LCD screens. We will show a variety of sporting events as well as highlights from some of our Chapter events this year. We have also reserved some billiard tables. The buffet dinner includes Caribbean Jerk Chicken, London Broil, Seafood Newburg and Vegetarian selections. The Annual Dinner is on Thursday, October 30, 6:30p, at the Crystal City Sports Pub. Invitations have been mailed to all members. Guests are welcome to attend. Dinner is $30 per person and includes appetizers, dinner buffet and non-alcoholic drinks during dinner. A cash bar will be available. Pre-paid reservations are required by October 27. To reserve a place, please send an e-mail, listing your name as you wish it to appear on your nametag, to reservations@aianova.org. Payment may be made by credit card on our Chapter website or by mailing a check to AIA Northern Virginia, 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Crystal City Sports Pub is located at 529 South 23rd Street, Arlington 22202. There is a free parking lot for patrons across the street. There are also metered spaces along the street - meters operate until 6:00p. There is a pay lot located behind the restaurant. Crystal City Metro stop (Blue + Yellow lines) is about 5 blocks away, on the north side of 18th Street between Clark Place and Route 1. For questions, contact the Chapter House at aianova@aianova.org or (703) 549-9747. Chapter Plans to Adopt New Bylaws The Chapter Board has been working on writing new Chapter Bylaws this year, based on the National AIA's model bylaws. The new bylaws, already reviewed and approved by National AIA's legal department, will guarantee we are in compliance with state laws, coordinate with the National AIA bylaws and reflect current Chapter practices. The proposed bylaws are available now for review on the Chapter website. As we go through this process, it is important that all members have an opportunity to have their voice heard. Please take a few minutes to review the proposed bylaws before the membership votes on adoption at the Annual Dinner. Comments and suggestions should be e-mailed to Chapter President Valerie Hassett, AIA at valerie@aianova.org by October 24 (an extension from the original deadline of October 16) so changes may be incorporated into the bylaws before voting takes place. The proposed bylaws will then be voted on at the Annual Dinner by a simple yes or no vote without discussion at the event. If desired, the proposed bylaws can be mailed to any member by phone request to the Chapter at (703) 549-9747. |
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Construction Tour Washington-Lee High School, Phase II |
 Grimm + Parker Architects will host a tour Thursday, October 23, 4:005:30p of the current construction at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington. Now underway are many of the school's unique spaces, including the gymnasium and natatorium, as well as the choral and instrumental classrooms. We will discuss some of the unique requirements of these spaces as well as the more obvious challenges of phased construction on an occupied site, and implementation of LEED® requirements for Indoor Air Quality. Participants are also welcome to compare the work underway with the completed Phase I on the same site.1.5 AIA/CES HSW credits. This is also a great opportunity for intern architects looking for Construction Observation training units. Please e-mail reservations@aianova.org to reserve a spot on the tour. Washington-Lee High School is located on Washington Blvd. and Quincy St. in Arlington and is within easy walking distance of the Ballston or Virginia Square Metro stations. The group will meet at the construction staging area off of Quincy St., where parking is also available. The tour will begin promptly at 4:00p. Hard hats and appropriate shoes are required. |
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Architecture Exchange East |
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The 21st annual Architecture Exchange East is November 12-14, 2008 in the Greater Richmond Convention Center. This year's ArchEx will feature keynote speaker Craig Dykers, founding partner of 
After initial studies in medicine and art, Craig began his architectural career upon completion of his university degree in Austin, Texas. He has since developed private practices in Los Angeles, Cairo, Oslo, and New York City.|
AIA Updates + Announcements |
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Small Firms Roundtable will Consider the Local Economy at Lunch Today! The Small Firms Roundtable will be joined by John McClain, a Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Center for Regional Analysis (CRA) at the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. The CRA studies economic development in the National Capital region and publishes a variety of reports for the general population, for institutional clients, government, and private industry. Earlier this month, the CRA published their most recent edition of The Washington Area and Northern Virginia Economic Outlook. In June, Mr. McClain authored a study entitled Foreclosures in the Washington Metropolitan Region. With John McClain visiting the next Small Firms Roundtable meeting, our discussion will focus on our local economy. Our conversation will benefit from the insight and expertise offered by Mr. McClain whose background includes economic forecasts, demographic studies, and real estate research for the Washington Council of Governments and the Washington Board of Trade. With so much uncertainty in the national economy, Mr. McClain will help us understand the ramifications for our local and regional economy. The Small Firm Roundtable will meet on Friday, October 17, from noon1:00p at the Chapter House. 1 AIA/CES LU is available. The November Small Firms Roundtable Presents Green Buildings On November 7th, the Small Firms Roundtable will be joined by Joan Kelsch, the Director of Arlington County's Green Buildings program. With a mandate to reduce the environmental impact of buildings in Arlington County, the Green Buildings program offers incentives to developers and homeowners while also providing assistance to architects and builders. The Green Buildings program has played a role in projects ranging from a straw bale shed constructed on a childrens playground in Clarendon to a 30 story, 580,000sf LEED® Platinum mixed use office tower in Rosslyn. The Green Buildings program assists with new construction, renovations, and building operations by promoting the use of sustainable materials, the recycling of waste, the reduction of energy consumption, and the use of environmentally friendly products, techniques, and behaviors. With Joan Kelsch visiting the November Small Firms Roundtable meeting, our discussion will focus on all things Green, including the Green Buildings program. The Roundtable meeting will be held at the Chapter House on Friday, November 7th, from noon1:00p. 1 AIA/CES HSW LU is available. Roundtable attendees are asked to contribute $5 for pizza and drinks at the event. Registration required by sending an e-mail to reservations@aianova.org. Members who have questions or suggestions for the Small Firms Roundtable are invited to contact Matt Guenther by telephone (703) 276-2274 or e-mail. Urban Development Global and Local Challenges for the Modern City The Danish Embassy, in conjunction with the National Building Museum, Tivoli Gardens, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Gehl Architects and the Danish Architecture Centre, are organizing a seminar focused on urban city development and creating spaces for people in an urban setting while being sustainable and green. The event will take place on December 3, from 3:006:30p, at the Phillips Collection. The embassy has generously offered members of our Chapter 20 spaces to attend this seminar. Guest will include Jan Gehl, Lars Liebst, the firm of Pei Cobb Free and Partners, and Susan Piedmont-Palladino of Virginia Tech's Washington Alexandria Architecture Center. Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen, Embassy of Denmark, will open the session, which will include presentations on Tivoli as a Neighborhood in Copenhagen, by Managing Director Lars Liebst, Tivoli, & Pei Cobb Freed & Partners; Cities for People, by Urban Designer & Architect Jan Gehl, Gehl Architects; and Global-Danish Initiatives for Sustainable Urban Development, by Managing Director Kent Martinussen, Danish Architecture Centre. If you are interested in attending this seminar, please e-mail the Chapter at reservations@aianova.org by October 24.The embassy requires the following information: name, title, affiliation, address, phone, fax, and e-mail, so please include this information in your e-mail. The first 20 people responding will be offered the available spaces. The embassy will e-mail invitations to those registered in early November. Sets of Sweets Available Save them from the landfill. Several volumes of Sweets from 2003, 2004 and 2006 are available at no charge to anyone interested. None of the sets are complete. If you are interested, please contact Ed Weaver, AIA at edward.weaver@aecom.com. |
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Arkansas Duncan Avenue Apartments |
The University of Arkansas was seeking a new residence hall to serve as a strong transition between the campus edge and the adjacent residential community and downtown area. Little saw this as an opportunity to create a pedestrian friendly, urban community that would provide both density and open space within the current site. |
The Arkansas Duncan Avenue Apartments design features a unit type reminiscent of a brownstone or urban townhouse that interlocks two four-bedroom apartments, each with an exterior entrance. The three-story units consist of two interlocking apartments, and each apartment is either the first and second level or the second and third level. The apartments include a kitchen, living room, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Amenities like balconies, bicycle storage, high-end furnishings, trim detail, solid-surface countertops and Energy Star-rated appliances provide unique, personal details. The fitness facilities in the 2500 sf recreation center and an open-air pavilion in the woods provide opportunities for residents to socialize.
While the original development studies called for 160 beds with on-site parking, Little accomplished 25 percent more bed capacity, preserved over 75 percent of the trees by utilizing the neighboring parking deck and street-side parking and maintained a natural water feature running through the middle of the site. This is the first campus project to achieve significant sustainable design certification, and will be certified to a Green Globes Level One (LEED® Certified equivalent).
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October 17 - Small Firms Roundtable : The Local Economy October 22 - AIA Northern Virginia Lunch Series : Vapor Barriers October 23 - Construction Tour : Washington-Lee High School, Phase II October 30 - Annual Chapter Dinner November 8 - Builders Ball November 12-14 - Architecture Exchange East November 19 - AIA Northern Virginia Lunch Series : Find the Lost Dollars in Your Business |
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Dominion Construction, Inc. |
With over 25 years of Healthcare construction experience, the people of Dominion Construction, Inc. offer General Contracting, Construction Management, Design-Build and Pre-Construction services in the Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, DC area. Dominion is an award winning contractor with a specialty for working in occupied and sensitive environments. |
Richard T. von Gersdorff, Chairman/CEO, and Brian K. Knepper, President/Chief Operating Officer, have worked together for the past 20 years. This extremely powerful partnership is a result of their balance of talents. David Adams, Director of Field Operations, is a significant partner in Dominion and he offers a wealth of experience in the healthcare arena. His broad, yet deep, experience in the field covers all facets of commercial construction. This talent provides a strong base on which a core group of field personnel can grow.