NOMA Call to Action Q&A Session

NOMA PDX is getting ready to launch the Call-to-Action (CTA) in alignment with the 2023 NOMA National Conference in Portland!  

We would like to invite all individuals, firms and organizations within the local AEC industry to pledge to the CTA.
We believe the fulfillment of these (19) commitments helps lay the foundation for the reconstruction of a truly unified and anti-racist architectural, engineering, construction, and design community. With courage, conviction, and struggle, collectively we can re-imagine and rebuild our profession, one person at a time. 

For those who are interested in signing on to the CTA, have questions or would like to learn more, please join the CTA Committee on August 22, at 5:30PM for a virtual Q+A session.

Please sign up here for the Q+A Session: https://www.nomapdx.org/cta-qa

For more information on the CTA, go to https://www.nomapdx.org/call-to-action

NOMA Conference held in Portland October 11-15th

October 11-15th Portland will host the NOMA national conference at the Hilton Portland Downtown. With conference registration open, we have some incredible speaker sessions and project tours lined up. Not to mention all the special events in store, like the Host Chapter Party, Awards Banquet, Bros Arts Ball and much more! 

This year our Legacy Project is in collaboration with Black Futures Farm, a community-building and production farm, where meaningful relationships are grown alongside vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Join us to develop design ideas for living walls and get your hands busy collecting seeds for future seasons, pruning berry bushes, mulching, and building garden structures. 

If you aren’t already registered by now, late registration begins September 15th with rates going up. So, make sure to register soon before the conference is sold out! https://conference.noma.net/noma23 We are expecting around 1,200 attendees, including over 40 Student Design Competition teams. 

The NOMA Conference is an inspiring opportunity to cultivate conversations about how we use our voices to actualize efforts that propel us towards a more just, equitable and sustainable world. This is a great occasion for all to attend and learn, support & celebrate with NOMA!

Telford+Brown Studio Architecture Hosting Craig Holmes Exhibit

Telford+Brown Studio Architecture will be hosting an exhibit of Craig Holmes’ artwork as part of Alberta Street’s Last Thursday event, on Thursday, August 31st, from 4:pm - 7:pm. Craig has been a freelance illustrator and artist for over five decades, and has done hand renderings for several high profile architects in the Pacific Northwest and beyond for almost as long.

Telford+Brown is located at 2132 NE Alberta Street. There will be light snacks and beverages.

Stuart Emmons Appointed AIA Oregon's New State Disaster Assistance Coordinator

 

AIA Oregon has appointed Stuart Emmons, AIA LEED AP as the new State Disaster Assistance Coordinator. State disaster coordinator(s) are AIA members that will establish/ maintain a relationship with state and/or local county Emergency Management Officials, their state or local AIA component, and AIA National. Coordinators work with their component to establish/ maintain a roster of potential volunteers and assist in Disaster Assistance Trainings. Coordinators must take any state-required trainings or certification courses. In some cases, the disaster assistance point person will become the state disaster coordinator.

Stuart has 35 years of architectural and planning experience and is licensed as an architect in all western states. Emmons has focused much of his career on housing, and for the last decade has been involved in innovative prefab modular housing for people experiencing homelessness, workforce housing, and emergency housing for disasters. In addition, Stuart is experienced in preparedness for natural disasters, especially seismic and tsunamis. On a personal note: Emmons was close to the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake in Los Angeles, and studied the impacts and responses to that event directly; and has done research on tsunami and earthquake preparedness during his time on the Oregon North Coast in the last 3 years.

Emmons is active in several Oregon communities and is a former candidate for Portland City Commissioner. Emmons holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University.

2023 Oregon General Legislative Session Recap

Note: The following was taken from Cindy Robert’s report on the entire 2023 General Session - this excerpt focuses specifically on activity of specific interest to architects and AIA Oregon. To read the entire report, go here.

American Institute of Architects Oregon 

With passage of the Climate Package (kudos to Chris Forney for all his work and Kaley Fought for her testimony) and the Board of Architect Examiner’s technical bill (applause to Mark Jacobsen, Curt Wilson and Eric Sandoval for their time and efforts) this can be considered a successful session for our advocacy efforts. However, much time and resources were spent on two of the bills that AIAO brought forward only to be thwarted by timing issues with the walkout, but more specifically with financial concerns. I cannot thank Heather Wilson, Kim Olson, Jay Raskin, Dick Steinbrugge and Jon Larson enough for the time they spent with me on our legislation. The AIAO Legislative Affairs Committee provided valuable insights and consideration of all legislation this session and we simply could not have been better served by all the members. Thank you! 

AIA updates the Framework for Design Excellence

New updates to AIA’s premier design resource aims to create a built environment that is healthy, resilient, equitable, and zero carbon.

This represents the “highest principles of architecture,” according to Allison Anderson, FAIA, 2022, chair, Framework for Design Excellence task group on the Committee on Climate Action and Design Excellence.  The Framework acts as a set of questions architects can ask of themselves or their clients to result in better buildings.  

New Oregon Architects

Passing the Architectural Registration Examination and becoming a licensed architect is a significant achievement. It signifies that an architect is skilled in and committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public, and is a significant personal milestone for those that become licensed. 

Congratulations to the following architects newly licensed in Oregon between April 1 and June 30, 2023. 

Lauren Antolin
Bradley Demeyer
Elizabeth Feltz
Colton Groves
Ellen Hassett
Emily Hayden
Daniel Houghton, AIA
Molly Jacobs, AIA
Nathan Korol, AIA
Andrew Nguyen
Franklin Potts
Jacob Resler
Grayson Schoenbine
Ekaterina Siemoneit, AIA
Robert Smith
Kenya Tichenor, AIA
Maxwell Yousey

We would love to do more to spotlight the newest Oregon licensees! Firms, if one or more of your staff has recently become licensed, we encourage you to share their story on social media and tag AIA Oregon, so we can spread the news! We are active on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Call to Fellowship

The 2024 AIA Fellowship Cycle is now open

Fellows of the Institute are licensed AIA members who have maintained their membership for 10 consecutive years. First, we would like to thank you for your continued membership. We’d also like to invite you to participate in our uniquely-tailored AIA Oregon Fellowship Prep Series, where AIAO supports the your process with feedback, refinement, and review before you make application.

Fellowship is extended to those who meet the criteria for elevation in any one of these 6 object areas:

AFO Announces Gift from Penny Knight Provides Scholarships to Native Art and Architecture Students

The Architecture Foundation of Oregon (AFO) is ecstatic to announce that they have more than doubled their scholarship awards to fund Native American, Alaskan Native, and Hawaiian Native art and architecture students at Portland State University. The Tsagaglalal (She Who Watches) Scholarship was established in 2022 with a generous initial gift of $250,000 by Penny Knight. 

Knight made an additional surprise gift of $300,000 in 2023 to increase the impact of the scholarship for award recipients as an illustration of her passion for access to education.

The Tsagaglalal Scholarship was initially announced as a $5,000 multi-year scholarship for Native American, Alaskan Native, and Hawaiian Native students pursuing a degree in Art or Architecture at Portland State University. The scholarship was established in honor of Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs, Wasco, Yakama), who has helped shape Oregon through her work as an artist, mentor, and advocate. AFO recognized Lillian Pitt’s lifetime achievement at the 2022 Honored Citizen annual dinner.

 

Evelyn Lee, FAIA, is elected 2025 AIA President

AIA members selected 2025 President, Treasurer, and an At-large Director in San Francisco

2024 First Vice President/2025 President-elect

Evelyn Lee, FAIA, NOMA, from AIA San Francisco/AIA California was elected 2025 President-elect.

2024-2025 Treasurer

Heather Philip-O'Neal, AIA, from AIA New York Chapter/AIA New York was elected Treasurer.

2024- 2026 At-large Director

Latoya N. Kamdang, AIA, from AIA New York Chapter was elected At-large Director.

Call for Applications - 2024 AIA Oregon Board of Directors

The 2023 AIA Oregon Board of Directors is pleased to call for applications to the 2024 Board class.

This is a deliberate change from “nomination” to application, in the hopes that the intention of inclusion and belonging are clearly shared and understood. This process is not closed, nor are there membership prerequisites. If you are a member of AIA Oregon (Associate, International Associate, or AIA), then you are eligible for application.

Also, if you are a member of NOMA nationally or locally, you are considered eligible for AIA Oregon leadership, and we extend the full rights and privileges of membership in AIA Oregon to all NOMA members. That includes member pricing on events, opportunities to lead, and participation in awards programs.

AIA Oregon seeking Disaster Assistance Coordinator

AIA Oregon is seeking members interested in serving in the role of Disaster Assistance Coordinator. 

Beginning in 2018, every AIA state component is required to appoint a state disaster coordinator to the Disaster Assistance Network. This requirement recognizes the critical importance of disaster preparedness in each state. Many local components have also worked to enhance their own disaster preparedness. Collectively, we are stronger when information, lessons learned, and examples are shared throughout the AIA disaster assistance network.  Disasters are generally local, and a network of professionals from outside the effected area is necessary for the recovery. This is the purpose of the Network.

The role of the state coordinator is to participate in disaster assistance network events and work with the chapter staff disaster assistance liaison to coordinate activities throughout the chapter.  Through the diligent work of the AIA Oregon Legislative Affairs Committee in 2019, Oregon now has a Safety Assessment Program to coordinate post-disaster response, and we expect the Disaster Assistance Coordinator will be involved in our efforts to see the SAP come to life.

If you are interested in the coordinator position, or interested in assisting the coordinator, please send an email to Heather Wilson, AIA, EVP/CEO at hwilson@aiaoregon.org.

SURVEY RESULTS: Here’s what you want from our new HQ

Earlier this year, members across Oregon responded to a survey to share their hopes for AIA Oregon’s new HQ. The survey focused on two main questions: Where should the space or spaces be located? And what should we use them for?

As the research lead on the HQ Task Force, I’m excited to share the recommendations that will guide our future work.

For now, here’s a preview of what the Task Force is recommending:

  1. Multiple locations are needed across the state. Across sections, members said they want an HQ near them and indicated they’d be unlikely to travel more than an hour to get to an HQ location. For these reasons and more, multiple locations are needed to serve our statewide community.

  2. The spaces should allow people to learn, advocate and join together. The results indicate that members are largely aligned on what should happen at the new HQ locations. Priority uses include networking, continuing education, advocacy and public outreach.

  3. Ownership models require further consideration. On average, members anticipate visiting an HQ location every month or two. Members also expressed that cost-effectiveness and financial feasibility are important values. Based on this, we will be strongly considering partnerships, pop-ups and other options for sharing space.

  4. Online offerings should continue. Although members clearly expressed a desire for physical spaces, online access to resources and events remains a top priority — and a critical way to bring people together across the state.

These recommendations will help us identify locations, partners and plans. We’ll also work to answer important remaining questions, including how advocacy and public outreach will show up and how to meet the unique needs of each section.

Thanks to everyone who took the survey. Please reach out with any questions to OurNewHQ@aiaoregon.org. I hope to see you at a Thursday Roundtable soon!

Sincerely,

Sara Bergby, AIA Bend

HQ Task Force Research Lead

New Oregon Licensees

Passing the Architectural Registration Examination and becoming a licensed architect is a significant achievement. It signifies that an architect is skilled in and committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public, and is a significant personal milestone for those that become licensed. 

Congratulations to the following architects newly licensed in Oregon between Jan 1 and Mar 31, 2023. 

Rachael Burke, AIA
Lindley Bynum, AIA
Alexa Cano  
Efrain Cano  
Matthew Cross, AIA
Natalie Defrance Dreyer, AIA
Melina Delahoz  
Kyle Elliott, AIA
Ross Guntert, AIA
Tammy Hite  
Sarah Kershner, AIA
Sarah Kim  
Daisy Meade, AIA
Brian Oylear, AIA
Timothy Ruppel, AIA
Carolyn Villescas  
Alyssa White, AIA

We would love to do more to spotlight the newest Oregon licensees! Firms, if one or more of your staff has recently become licensed, we encourage you to share their story on social media and tag AIA Oregon, so we can spread the news! We are active on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

2023 AIA candidates for elective office

2024 First VP/2025 President

  • Timothy C. Hawk, FAIA (AIA Columbus/AIA Ohio) 

  • Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA (AIA San Francisco/AIA California) 

2024-2025 Treasurer

  • Heather Philip-O'Neal, AIA (AIA New York Chapter/AIA New York) 

2024-2026 At-large Director

  • Kenneth J. Filarski, FAIA (AIA Rhode Island) 

  • Latoya N. Kamdang, AIA (AIA New York Chapter/AIA New York) 

  • Benjamin Kasdan, AIA (AIA Washington, DC)

  • Jessica M. O’Donnell, AIA (AIA New Jersey)

  • Adam Viorel Pantelimon-Negrut, Intl. Assoc. AIA (AIA Canada) 

Each year, several dedicated members step forward to lead the national organization toward accomplishing our mission of creating better communities through good design and focused advocacy. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is governed by a 16-person Board of Directors; comprised of the elected officers, At-large and other Directors, and the EVP/Chief Executive Officer. AIA business is vested in the Board of Directors, which includes administration of AIA headquarters, oversight of the annual budget, and approval of policies.

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THE SPEECHES FROM THIS YEARS’ CANDIDATES.

Kaley Fought, AIA, your 2023 President, after full discussion with the Board of Directors (which includes section leadership) will cast the vote for the chapter at the AIA Business Meeting, June 8. Until then, every AIA Oregon member has the opportunity and responsibility to review the candidates speeches and make any recommendations or comments or ask questions. We’ll have an opportunity to caucus at AIA National convention and can ask your questions directly. Please take advantage of the chance to guide your organization – every voice matters.

Learn More and See the Candidates Speeches Here

Argyle Gardens wins 2023 Housing Award

Argyle Gardens

Architect:  Holst Architecture

Owner:  Transition Projects

Location: Portland, Ore.

Category:  Specialized Housing

Project site: Brownfield

Building program type: Residential - multi-family, 5 or more units

Argyle Gardens is the first implementation of a modular, low-income single-adult housing model developed by the design team and Transition Projects, an organization dedicated to providing life-changing assistance to Portland’s most vulnerable residents. The first modular housing project permitted by the city, this new community of 72 housing units in the Kenton neighborhood stands as a new co-housing model whose residents share community space and other support systems. It represents a crucial step forward in the effort to design, build, and maintain affordable housing across the nation.

Image Credit: Portlandrone

Launching Soon: 2023 AIA Compensation Survey

"Need up-to-date salary information? Participate in the 2023 AIA Compensation Survey! The AIA's biennial Compensation Survey, last conducted in 2021, is the benchmark for the profession, and a valued resource for firms and practitioners. As a participating firm, you will receive a complimentary PDF copy of the complete survey report when it is released.

If you received an invitation to participate, we ask that you respond as your reply is vital for the success of this study. If you are a firm leader who has not received an invitation and would like to participate, please send an email to the AIA Economics & Market Research team at compensationsurvey@aia.org. We thank you in advance for your participation."

Net Zero Fellowship Opportunity

Energy Trust of Oregon is Now Accepting Applications for Energy Trust’s Net Zero Fellowship Grant 

Energy Trust is proud to support the innovative people who make net-zero buildings possible, from current industry professionals to the leaders of tomorrow. Through fellowship grants, we support research that advances net-zero design and construction, addresses potential barriers or helps grow community involvement.

The Net Zero Fellowship awards up to two grants, not exceeding $60,000 each, for a 12-month research project that advances the adoption of net-zero design and construction in Oregon and/or Washington. We are now seeking applications through June 2, 2023.

Individuals or firms in the fields of community development, urban planning, architecture, engineering, construction, facility management, public policy or academia are encouraged to apply. Energy Trust encourages topics that examine multiple facets of net-zero design and construction, especially around how building professionals make decisions and how all communities benefit.

Submit your application by June 2, 2023.

Apply Now

Virtual Info Session - March 16

Want to know more or have an idea to discuss? Join us for a virtual informational session on March 16 to learn more about the fellowship requirements and to hear from previous fellows – Jean von Bargen Root and Dr. Ihab Elzeyadi – about their experience.

Virtual discussion and Q&A Thursday, March 16, 2023, 10-11:00 a.m. Zoom webinar

Online registration