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Practice: RFPs + DesignDC

Featured Project: Flynn/Harless
  Residence

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Visit the AIA Northern Virginia Website

As news reports remind us daily, the economy continues a downward spiral and, as to be expected, design and construction activities have slowed.

The AIA Architecture Billings Index (ABI) recorded its ninth straight monthly decline in October, the steepest decline in the 13 years since the AIA began to track business trends. The index for new project inquiries also showed a record drop in October. Likely, signs of a recovery will be evident first by an increase in inquiries, so at present, business conditions are not showing signs of improvement. You can view complete information on the Index here.

As we reported in the last issue of BLAST, the AIA website feature, Navigating the Economy, continues to provide information and resources to help members through these difficult times. Recent highlights include:

• Podcast: Dealing with the Credit Crunch
• How Can Architects Buoy Up Business in the Downturn?
• AIA to Congress: Get America Building and Designing Again
• Federal Design Opportunities

The Flynn/Harless Residence
Virginia
susan woodward architects, pc
Photos by Katherine G. Stifel, AIA

Our objectives were to capture a beautiful view and open the interiors to extend the perception of the space beyond those set by the traditional boundaries of walls and ceiling planes.

The existing house has a very small 500 sf floor plate, common to this era of three-story brick boxes in Northern Virginia. Its small, 1940’s windows framed but did not capture views of woods and stream beyond. The house had remained essentially unaltered from the time it was built. Therefore, it was a compact, blank slate limited only by the very modest budget available to accomplish the clients’ program full of dreams. That, and the need to respect the stream resource protection area, confined work to the interior spaces and the rear facade.

The architectural moves were limited and specific to the goal of opening the compact volume. The primary effort was to replace much of the rear wall with floor-to-ceiling glass from basement to roof so that one could inhabit the stacked inside/outside edge. Only three interior walls were removed and the ceiling space was raised in the master bedroom. Dark walls were contrasted against stark white; dark walls receding and diminishing the contrast with the exterior. Pushing and pulling the edges of cabinets and walls that would otherwise define those edges blurred the line between one space and the next. Wall and ceilings were curved and angled to direct flow and to impact the way one measures oneself within a space.

The clients had collected a few pieces of authentic mid-century modern furniture, art and artifacts over time. One of the first design meetings occurred while sitting on their Charles and Ray Eames compact sofa, cups of coffee set on the Eileen Grey round glass side table. An original 1940’s aluminum Navy chair was found in the house and carefully restored by the clients. The design aesthetic was intended to clearly compliment and give a home to these pieces and those the clients wish to acquire in the future. It was a marriage of two very different styles of the same era – a mid-century house to mid-century modern furniture to create a home that both functions and brings simple, uncomplicated delight.

December 8 - AIA Northern Virginia Board Meeting
4:30-6:00p, at the Chapter House, 205 S Patrick Street, Alexandria. For additional information, contact the Chapter House at aianova@aianova.org.

December 10 - AIA Northern Virginia Lunch Series : The Evolution of Glass + High Performance Coatings
Noon-1:00p, at the Chapter House, 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria. The presentation will start with a brief overview of the means used to manufacture flat glass, culminating with the float glass process. Following this will be an overview of the use of glass as a means of achieving solar control including the use of high performance coatings, which has expanded the use of glass in architecture. A summary of the trends in the use of coatings will be presented along with a simulated building model, which calculates the return on investment to be expected through the use of various glass types. Next, a variety of buildings will be shown and the rationale for the glass and coating use will be discussed. Finally, common issues and tradeoffs facing glass specifiers will be reviewed. Presented by Heather Choate with Guardian Industries. 1 AIA/CES HSW LU. Free, but registration is required. Please e-mail your registration request to reservations@aianova.org.

December 16 - Virginia Society AIA Seminar : 2006 IBC Accessibility and Usability
8:30a-4:00p, at PSA-Dewberry, 8401 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax. Provides requirements for construction of accessible structures in compliance with the IBC and the referenced standard, ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003. Introduces the topics of plan review and inspection for construction allowing the physically challenged, the visually impaired and the hearing impaired to use buildings of all types. Discusses the primary objective of the 2006 IBC, which is to meet or exceed, to the maximum extent possible, the requirements of the ADAAG and the FHAG. 6.0 LUs (HSW). $170 AIA members; $200 non-members. Download the registration form, get more information, or register online through Virginia Society AIA.

December 31 - Presentation Proposals for DesignDC 2009 Due
See the announcement above for information.