BLAST

Volume 3, No. 9 - August 25, 2009

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BLAST - News and Notes from AIA Northern Virginia

CITTA 50, by Bonstra | Haresign Architects (more info)

Greening Our Homes

Registered Architects in the US

In Practice...

Featured Project: CITTA 50

Calendar

Visit the AIA Northern Virginia Website

Greening Our Homes : Increasing the Health and Sustainability of Existing Housing
by Katherine Austin, AIA and Casius Pealer, Associate AIA
Housing + Custom Residential Knowledge Community

According to the US Census, there are currently more than 107 million existing residential units in the US, and the Brookings Institute has estimated that 75% of all buildings that will be in use by 2050 are already built. Many of these buildings were built prior to 1970, are extremely inefficient, and will constitute much of the housing for our most vulnerable citizens for the foreseeable future.

Against this backdrop, the AIA Housing + Custom Residential (H&CR) Knowledge Community has organized their annual fall conference on improving the health and sustainability of existing housing. The Greening Our Homes conference will be held from October 2-4 at the AIA Headquarters in Washington, DC. This conference will bring together design professionals and policy makers to address the challenges and share best practices in greening our nation's existing housing stock.

The conference features presentations by Leila Edmonds, Director of DC's Department of Housing and Community Development, and Michael Bodaken, President of the National Housing Trust. Panel discussions are planned on the value of various green certifications and considerations in different climate zones and with buildings of different ages and types, among others. There will be a panel of public policy experts discussing current legislative initiatives in this area, as well as innovative financing and other funding opportunities at both the federal and state/local levels. Conference participants will also be invited to tour a number of recently rehabbed projects in the DC area with the architects and designers of those projects.

We invite you to join us for an informative and interactive weekend.

Early registration by September 4 is $215 for AIA members; $245 after. Please click here for additional information.

Licensed Architects (US)
by Matthew Arnold, AIA
Matthew Arnold Architecture & Design

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) is quite a busy place these days. They are transitioning to the next generation of the ARE. They have just launched a totally redesigned website (www.ncarb.org) which has a page listing the registration licensing requirements for each state board with a terrific Q&A format that puts tons of information at your fingertips.

For the past ten years or so NCARB has also been conducting an Annual Survey of Licensed Architects and publishing a report that lists each state and the number of licensed architects who live there and the number of active licenses that have been granted to out-of-state applicants. At this writing, most of these can be accessed here. NCARB did not publish reports in 2000, 2001 or 2006. Charts that represent the reports for the period of 1999-2008 may be found here.

The table graphically displays the number of architects licensed in each state (as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam) for the period from 1999 to 2008. The relative growth of the population of each jurisdiction is also shown, as well as the ratio of licensed architects per million people.

For the period in question, the general population increased by 11.5% while the number of licensed architects rose by 7.4%. GDP and total construction spending each increased by over 50% for the period. There were 96,966 licensed in-state architects in 1999 and 104,126 in 2008; this is equivalent to a net increase of approximately 800 per year distributed among the 54 jurisdictions shown.

In 16 of the 54 jurisdictions, the ratio of licensed architects to the general population remained the same or increased (although there are qualifications associated with the reporting of 4 of these which undermines the confidence with which we can assert this). In 1999 for all jurisdictions there were 350 licensed architects per million people in the US. In 2008 there were 337 licensed architects per million people.

In other words, in 1999 there was one licensed architect per 2,855 inhabitants while there was one licensed architect per 2,962 people in 2008. According to the data provided by NCARB, the jurisdictions with the highest per-capita licensed architects are: District of Columbia, Utah, Hawaii, Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts and Maryland, although the figures for DC, Utah and Maryland are reported with some caveats. (Maryland's numbers, for example, have not changed since 2005, for reasons that are unclear.)

Licenses held by non-residents increased by 10.2% for the period, almost matching the growth rate of the general population. New York, Arizona, California, New Jersey, Florida, and Virginia have the most licensed architects in this category.

The chart on the right reflects the national totals for the period.

In Practice...

Classes at Virginia Tech's Washington Alexandria Architecture Center have started. The Chapter usually receives numerous resumes from students seeking internships during the first few weeks of school. If you are thinking of hiring an intern this fall, please let us know by sending an email to aianova@aianova.org and we will send you resumes as we receive them.

Virginia Center for Architecture Exhibits
The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design : September 10-November 29, 2009
Exhibit examines new developments in green technology and products. Admission $2; free for members. Opening reception on September 10. Symposium on going green around the home on September 19 (admission $30; $20 for Center members). To register for either event, call (804) 644-3041, ext. 100 or email aliguori@aiava.org. For additional information, visit the Center's website here.

Green Housing Awards Program - Show How You Re-Green
The AIA Housing + Custom Residential Knowledge Community is looking for innovative designs that have significantly reduced the resource use and increased the indoor environmental quality of existing housing. Projects may be either complete remodels or substantial alterations that significantly improve building performance. The Call for Entries may be found here. Submission deadline is September 3, 2009.

McGraw-Hill's Mid-Atlantic Construction Announces Call for Entries for their Best of 2009 Awards.
This annual awards program honors projects in Delaware, DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Projects must be completed between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 to be eligible. There is no entry fee. For additional information, click here. Submission deadline is September 1.

Addendum to the Featured Project article in the last issue of BLAST
Prakash Patel Photography took the photographs of Elizabeth Seton High School SVA Brooks Center for Sports + Fine Arts designed by Geier Brown Renfrow Architects, LLC.

CITTA 50
Bonstra | Haresign Architects
Washington, DC

Located within Washington, DC's Greater 14th Street Historic District, this unique adaptive reuse project incorporates a historic coal distribution facility designed by John Lankford, Washington's first registered African-American architect. Abandoned for 40 years since the 1968 riots devastated this area of the city, this $9M, 27-unit project includes the complete restoration of the historic building and the construction of a new seven-story residential addition beside and behind the restored building.

The historic Lankford building was retained in its entirety, held up with steel support framing while a basement floor level was inserted and crumbling foundations replaced. Its original brick façade was restored while windows and doors were replicated. The coal drive-through opening was restored and the area occupied by the original truck scale was memorialized through the creation of a double height living area.

Articulated as a lively composition of multi-colored/textured brick planes, the new façades relate to its historic industrial context and likewise appear to be built over time. Respecting its varied streetscape, the building allows for maximum views and open spaces on three faces. Entered into a courtyard at street level through a steel and wood gate, a masonry façade is continued inside, referentially reappearing at each floor level. A blue oval penthouse screen completes the composition in a reinterpreted version of the ubiquitous water tower. Inside, efficient interlocking fire stairs and elevator serve four units per level, along with four duplex units at the top two floors.

September 12 - Boxwood Winery Tour
2:00p + 3:30p, Middleburg. The Chapter is planning a tour and wine tasting. At this time all spaces are full, but if you would like to be added to the wait list, please email your request to reservations@aianova.org.

September 12 - Architecture in the Schools Introductory Meeting
9:30a-12:00p, at the Washington Chapter AIA. Teacher and volunteer training for the fall 2009 program. For additional information, contact Jean O'Toole, AIA at jotoole@leoadaly.com.

September 13 + 15 - Annual Inter-School Student Design Competition
At the National Building Museum. Each fall, students from the four metro area schools of architecture collaborate for this design competition, sponsored by the three local AIA Chapters, the Washington Architectural Foundation and the National Building Museum. The competition takes place on September 13, with the jury and awards ceremony on September 15. Bing Thom will serve as Lead Juror and will give a Spotlight on Design Lecture at the NBM following the awards ceremony. Free, registration not required. For additional information, click here.

September 15 - AIA Northern Virginia Board Meeting
4:30-6:00p, at the Chapter House, 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria 22314. For additional information, contact the Chapter House at aianova@aianova.org.

September 27 - Fellows Application Kickoff Meeting
2:00-3:30p, at the Chapter House, 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria 22314. Have you been thinking about applying for AIA Fellowship or know someone who should? Ever wonder what the selection criteria is and what is involved in the application process? Join other potential candidates and Fellows Committee members to answer questions and demystify the process. Interested members should contact Committee Chair Al Cox, FAIA at al.cox@alexandriava.gov.

September 28 - Architecture in the Schools Classes Begin
Volunteers work with teachers and students to introduce concepts of architecture and design into the class curriculum, culminating in a creative class project. New sessions begin every semester. For additional information and to volunteer, contact Jean O’Toole, AIA at jotoole@leoadaly.com.

October 15 - Improving Energy Performance in the Building Envelope
9:30a-3:45p, at the Beatley Central Library, Alexandria. Workshop will present information on air barriers, wall cladding, energy analysis, vegetative roofs and photovoltaics. Earn 5 AIA/CES HSW SD Learning Units. Includes breakfast & lunch. Register early to take advantage of substantial discounts: members $50 by September 30, $70 after; nonmembers $75 by September 30, $95 after. For detailed information click here.

October 21 - 34th Annual Chapter Dinner, Honors Celebration and Elections
6:30p, at the Crystal City Sports Pub, Arlington. Save the date! Invitations will be mailed to all members.