| Volume 9, No. 3 - April 2, 2015 |
| previous | main menu | next |
 de Laski Performing Arts Building, by Hughes Group Architects (more info) |
|
| Design Awards Submissions due April 23 The Design Awards Committee invites you to participate in our annual awards program. We offer eight project categories, including the Herlong Award specifically for Associate members. All work submitted must have been completed after June 1, 2010. Please consider resubmitting eligible projects that have been previously entered but not yet awarded.  We will hold our jury in Raleigh, North Carolina this year and again host two separate juries – one for residential projects and another for the other categories. Frank Harmon, FAIA will be our guest speaker at the awards celebration in early June. Watch for details soon.To help you prepare your submissions, we are offering a review of the 2014 winning entries and jurors' comments. J. Paul Lewis, AIA, co-chair of our Design Awards Committee, will provide a glimpse into the jury process on April 8, from 12:00-1:30p, at the Chapter House. Information and reservations are available here. Submissions are due on Thursday, April 23, by 5:00p and the Call for Entries is available at aianova.org/DA15. |
| Celebrate Architecture Week |
 Architecture Week is held every April as part of the AIA's nationwide celebration. During this week AIA chapters all over the country offer events and activities geared towards architects and the public alike. AIA Northern Virginia is pleased to offer a walking tour of Old Town Alexandria and a clothing drive to collect professional attire for Dress for Success as part of Architecture Week 2015.April 6-17 – Dress for Success Clothing Drive Organized by the Chapter's Women in Architecture Committee, we will be collecting your donations at several drop-off locations. April 12 – Walking Tour of Historic Old Town Alexandria Presented by members of our Historic Resources Committee, you’ll enjoy an informative tour of Alexandria's historic core and earn 2 HSW credits. Details are available at aianova.org/architectureweek.php. |
| Professor David Thaddeus Returns to Teach Structural Systems |
| For the 10th year in a row we welcome back Professor David Thaddeus, AIA to teach his renowned Structural Systems workshop May 1-3 at Dewberry in Fairfax. Presented as part of our ARE review sessions, this workshop offers a great review to anyone who is interested in brushing up on structures and offers 30 HSW credits. Information and registration are available here. Organized by our Young Architects Forum, we offer extensive review sessions for all sections of the exam. Our remaining sessions for 2015 are Building Design + Construction Systems (April 18), Structural Systems (May 1-3) and Schematic Design (May 9). The series will wrap up on May 13 with Life After the Exams: Licensing + Professional Development. This free seminar, for interns and architects alike, offers information on legal and practice issues in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Visit aianova.org/are.php for complete ARE information and registration. |
 VITA Construction TourVITA is a 429-unit high-rise apartment community with 13,116 sf of plaza level retail space. Soaring 30 floors above street level, VITA will be the tallest building in Tysons Corner upon completion. VITA is nestled in the heart of Tysons Corner Center's 1.4 million sf expansion that includes Tysons Tower office building, Hyatt Regency Hotel and the 55,000 square-foot elevated public Plaza that serves as a direct connection to the new Tysons Corner Center Metro Station (Silver Line). The tour is organized by the Chapter's Young Architects Forum and will be given by architects from Shalom Baranes Associates. Limited to 15 participants. Details and reservations are available here. Awards and Opportunities AIA NORTHERN VIRGINIA DESIGN AWARDS DUE APRIL 23 April 3 – Virginia Tech/WAAC Career and Internship Fair April 22 – 2015 AIA/F Diversity Advancement Scholarship Due May 1 – Virginia Governor's Housing Conference Blueprint for the Future Design Competition Due May 1 – Re-Defining Home: A Design Challenge June 12 – Peace Corps Commemorative Design Competition AIA Northern Virginia Canstruction Team Registration AIA Convention 2015: Call for Volunteers |
 |
Donald and Nancy de Laski Performing Arts Building at George Mason University |
 Every aspect of the de Laski Performing Arts Building is infused with a kinetic energy intended as a metaphor for music and bodies in motion.The programmatic components include a band rehearsal room with sound locks, a percussion rehearsal hall, instrument storage, two dance studios, dance student locker rooms, a gallery and rest rooms. The activities of the band rehearsal hall, percussion rehearsal hall, and the dance studios required special sound isolation and high ceiling requirements. Natural lighting is a key design element. Angular corner windows are employed in each studio space as sculptural elements to create a sense of motion which is consistent throughout the facility. The skylight at the entry lobby washes the zinc panels with the constantly changing qualities of light. Terrazzo floor patterns and rhythmic wall details all add depth to the composition. Sound control was viewed as a design opportunity. Thick sound abatement panels are covered with musically inspired patterns and colors and reflective ceiling clouds echo the dancing forms of the exterior. Heavy concealed acoustic curtains can be deployed to adjust the spaces to a variety of acoustic dimensions. The flowing lyrical exterior forms clad in stippled zinc panels enliven the very tight site between two tall monolithic existing structures. Brick was used to anchor the composition of forms and to relate the structure to the context of the campus. The facility design is a memorable synthesis of forms and details which clearly express a sense of music and dance.  Photography © Dan Cunningham |
MARCH CALENDAR 2 | YAF/WIA Happy Hour 6:30p, Fairfax. [info] 4 | ARE: Programming, Planning & Practice 10:00a, Arlington. [info] 6 | WIA Committee Meeting 6:00p, Alexandria. [info] 6-17 | WIA Dress for Success Clothing Drive 6:30p, multiple collection sites. [info] 8 | Design Award Submittal Seminar - Notes from the Jury 12:00p, Alexandria. [info] 8 | Schools Connections Committee Meeting 6:00p, Alexandria. [info] 11 | YAF VITA Construction Tour 9:00a, Tysons Corner. [info] 12 | Walking Tour of Historic Old Town Alexandria 1:00p, Alexandria. [info] 13 | AIA Northern Virginia Board Meeting 4:30p, Alexandria. [info] 15 | 360 Mentoring General Session 6:15p, Alexandria. [info] 18 | ARE: Building Design & Construction Systems 10:00a, Arlington. [info] 23 | AIA Northern Virginia Design Award Submittals Due 5:00p. [info] 23 | WIA Happy Hour 6:00p, location to be determined. [info] 23 | The Architect as Design-Builder: A CRAN Panel Discussion 6:30p, Bethesda. [info] 29 | Stone Veneer and Poly-Ash Siding 11:00a, Alexandria. [info] 30 | Design Awards Committee Meeting 12:00p, Alexandria. [info] 30 | YAF Happy Hour 6:30p, Alexandria. [info] Upcoming Dates to Note: May 1-3 - ARE: Structural Systems May 4 - WIA Committee Meeting May 9 - ARE: Schematic Design May 9 - Virginia Fellows Fete May 11 - AIA Northern Virginia Board Meeting May 13 - International Building Code Training May 13 - ARE: Life After the Exams May 14-16 - AIA Convention 2015 AIA Northern Virginia Calendar | AIA|DC Calendar | AIA Potomac Valley Calendar For additional information on any of these events, please contact the Chapter House at (703) 549-9747 or aianova@aianova.org. The Chapter House is located at 205 South Patrick Street, Alexandria 22314. |