| Volume 3, No. 1 - January 30, 2009 |
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 Model for Community Hospital at Fort Belvoir, by HDR (more info) |
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President Obama's Call to Remake America by Debbie Burns |
| "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth." |
| -From Barack Obama's inauguration speech |
It was certainly very exciting to be in the Washington, DC area last week with all the exhilaration generated by the inauguration of President Barack Obama. During his inauguration speech, President Obama called on all of us to take action to transform America. On Saturday, he elaborated further during his first weekly address explaining some specific elements of his economic stimulus package, including a weatherization program to make 2.5 million homes and three-fourths of federal buildings more  energy efficient and plans to renovate 10,000 schools. The President and Congress are working rapidly to develop the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, estimated to cost $825 billion, hoping to sign it into law before the end of February.With a focus on creating jobs, improving the country’s infrastructure, developing plans for long-term economic growth and creating alternative sources of energy, architects are in a position to help. But to have some input into the plan, now is the time to act. There is an opportunity to advocate for building better, to improve both the environment and the economy. To help architects be effective advocates and play an active role in guiding President Obama and Congress, the AIA recently developed Rebuild & Renew, a comprehensive plan for restoring our economy and greening our communities. The initiatives supported by the plan include:
 AIA leaders from chapters all over the country are coming to Washington February 4-7 for the annual Grassroots Leadership & Legislative Conference and will visit lawmakers to bring the message of Rebuild & Renew to Capitol Hill. They will talk from personal experience about the economy and how it affects architects and urge Members of Congress to support the solutions proposed by the AIA plan. Collectively, they will also educate Congress about several other key issues that affect the build environment and the practice of architecture, including transportation policies, federal design contracts and access to affordable health care. To learn more about these issues, visit www.aia.org/advocacyday2009.Your direct action is also needed. In the spirit of Inauguration Day, make a commitment to be involved and to contribute to building sustainable, livable communities. Here are four easy steps to help you get started:
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6th Annual Canstruction® Call for Entries |
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Over the last five years, AIA Northern Virginia's Canstruction® has become the single largest food drive benefiting the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Now, more than ever, the donation we collectively make to AFAC is critically important. While economic uncertainly has touched all of our firms and many of our good friends, there are others in our communities who are struggling even more. They are people we can help.|
Celebrate Mardi Gras at the Annual Open House |
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Tuesday, February 24, 6:00-8:00p The AIA Northern Virginia Chapter House 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria Enjoy Hurricanes, jazz & New Orleans treats. The Open House is free and reservations are not necessary. View the online listing for additional information. |
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ARE Prep Courses Begin March 4 |
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The Young Architects Forum has scheduled the 2009 ARE Prep Courses, focusing on the transition to the new 4.0 format. The series will begin with a roundtable discussion about the exams and the study sessions and will feature a representative from NCARB and architects who recently passed the exam. The sessions will begin in March and finish in July. |
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Alexandria Changes Zoning Ordinance |
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On December 13, 2008, the Alexandria City Council adopted changes to the city's zoning ordinance to permit some small businesses to operate in the city with approval of an Administrative Special Use Permit (SUP). The changes will simplify the process for businesses to obtain zoning approval for building uses such as small commercial schools, childcare centers and small restaurants in certain locations. Previously, these uses were subject to review and approval through a formal hearing process and required the submission of a Special Use Permit request. Under the new regulations, some of these uses can now be approved as either permitted or administrative uses, rather than requiring a Special Use Permit. An Administrative SUP will require an applicant to submit information to the Department of Planning and Zoning about the requested use. The department has prepared a checklist and worksheets to assist applicants in understanding and providing necessary information. These documents are available for review here and feedback is welcome. Please submit comments or questions to richard.josephson@alexandriva.gov by February 13. |
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In Practice... |
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Visit AIA.org on Monday The AIA is launching a new website on February 2. The concept of the new site is to make it easier to find what you need. It offers streamlined navigation, reliable search capability and a repository of tools and resources, featuring member to member contributions, to help you with your practice and career development. This is the beginning of an evolutionary growth for the new site, which will become more and more robust as new features and functionality are unveiled throughout the year. Check it out at www.aia.org. Free Ads for Job Openings To help members during these difficult economic times, we will provide free classified ad space in AIA Northern Virginia News for firms who wish to advertise job openings. This offer is good throughout 2009. Ads are limited to 100 words and should be submitted to aianova@aianova.org by the 20th of the month before publication. So the deadline for the March/April issue is February 20. As always, the Chapter also provides an online Job Board which offers free job postings for members. You can easily list openings by completing the online form. The Chapter House also maintains a folder of resumes for people seeking employment. To add a resume or view the ones on file, please contact the Chapter House at aianova@aianova.org or (703) 549-9747. |
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Corrections + Omissions |
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The Featured Project for last year's Issue 14, the Carlyle Westin Hotel, lacks credits for photos taken by Eric Taylor, Associate AIA of Eric Taylor, Assoc. AIA Photography. The Featured Project for Issue 15 improperly lists the firm of record as "susan woodward architects, pc" when it should read "susan woodward notkins architects, pc." The editors of BLAST apologize for the oversights. All efforts are made to verify and review information prior to publication. |
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Community Hospital at Fort Belvoir |
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As the indefinite closing of Walter Reed Medical Center approaches, so does the completion of the new 1.27 million SF, $649 million, Community Hospital at Fort Belvoir. Together with the new National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, this world-class facility will provide medical services to the current patient load at Walter Reed as well as to the military community in the National Capital area.
Agency (HFPA), the Tri Care Management Agency (TMA) and the Medical Facilities Center of Expertise, selected HDR to design the new hospital and clinics. The project is incorporated into a large Indefinite Quantity Contract with the Corps of Engineers held by the Joint Venture of HDR/Dewberry.
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February 9 - AIA Northern Virginia Board Meeting February 9 - HDR, Inc. Firm Tour February 18 - AIA Northern Virginia Lunch Series - Two Seminars February 24 - AIA Northern Virginia Open House February 25 - Inform Award Entries Due |