Design Connects: The 2012 AIA Convention focuses on connections

by Jonathan McGaha | April 1, 2012 12:00 am

AIA 2012 National Convention and Design Exposition
May 17-19, 2012
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.

 

The nature of design is all about connections, and the 2012 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition is focusing on the connections between people, places and ideas that are at the heart of the architecture profession. From start to finish, every part of a project is about making connections that work together to help build a better future.

Focusing on the value that making strong professional connections can have for architects and the profession as a whole, architects are encouraged to meet in-person with colleagues from across the country and discuss the topics that matter most to them and the profession.

This year’s theme, Design Connects, implies that in a world of individuals, it is when we reach across boundaries and form as a collective that we are the strongest. Architects will have an opportunity to experience those connections at this year’s convention from May 17-19 in Washington, D.C.

A Wealth of Knowledge

The convention offers nearly 200 education sessions and more than 100 tours in 29 different areas of interest for architects to develop a personalized learning experience, while earning all of your Learning Units for the year.

Industry Innovations

Attendees can be among the first to experience the latest industry innovations, receive personal, hands-on product demonstrations, and talk one-on-one with the more than 800 exhibitors at this year’s show.

Architectural Tours

Washington, D.C. is one of the most visited cities on the planet, and home to some amazing architecture. AIA will be offering a variety of architectural tours during the course of the convention, exploring everything from Capital Hill to Arlington National Cemetery.

 

Convention Education Programs of Interest to Metal Architecture Readers

Daylight Design for Code Compliance

Thursday, May 17 | 2-3:30 p.m.

Program Code: TH211

Speaker(s): Jack Bailey, LEED AP, LC, Keith Yancey, AIA, IALD, LC, PE

Learning Units: 1.50 LU/HSW/SD

Daylight is the most emotionally powerful connection between the built and natural environments-and has long been a form-giver to architecture. Daylighting is also the first passive design strategy to be mandated by the new International Green Construction Code
(IGCC), so it will soon be required in some jurisdictions. This seminar will review quantitative and qualitative means of evaluating daylight. Participants will learn how to use the prescriptive and performance paths to show compliance with the IGCC daylighting requirements.

 

Winning the War for Sustainable Building: Arm Yourself with Facts to Win Over the Opposition

Thursday, May 17 | 2-3:30 p.m.

Program Code: TH220

Speaker(s): Paula Vaughan, AIA, LEED AP

Learning Units: 1.50 LU

Client preferences versus the integrity of your design. Budget constraints versus product selection. First cost versus life cycle cost. Each project can be a battle! It doesn’t have to be. Join the debate as we hear from an owner, a general contractor and an architect-all highly experienced in sustainable design and construction-about the trade-offs and decisions surrounding sustainable design costs. Glean information about actual cost comparisons, including individual products as well as whole building solutions and life cycle cost considerations. You will leave armed with the knowledge to sway your clients and come out of the war for sustainable design a hero!

 

Connecting Building Science to the Practice of Architecture

Thursday, May 17 | 6-7 p.m.

Program Code: TH402

Speaker(s): David Altenhofen, AIA, Joseph Deringer, AIA, Henry Green, Hon. AIA

Learning Units: 1.00 LU/HSW

The practice of architecture is not done in isolation. The design and construction of buildings requires the integration of numerous parts and pieces specified by many different disciplines. Understanding how these pieces come together to produce a building that meets the needs of owners and occupants is crucial for the production of a high-performance building. The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) serves as the nation’s authoritative source for building science-related information and works across disciplines to improve how buildings are designed, constructed, and maintained. This session will feature presentations on how the AIA and NIBS work together to improve the built environment and how AIA members can access NIBS’s tools, information and expertise.

 

The AIA 2030 Commitment: Measuring Industry Progress toward 2030

Friday, May 18 | 2-3:30 p.m.

Program Code: FR219

Speaker(s): Rand Ekman, AIA, LEED AP, Gregory Mella, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NCARB

Learning Units: 1.50 LU/HSW/SD

The first step to any solution is figuring out how to assess and measure the potential problem. The AIA 2030 Commitment is a program that does just that-it helps you assess your own office operations and projects so you can first understand how your firm is doing in relation to the 2030 Commitment targets. By discussing these goals, attendees will learn the importance of setting sustainable design goals for every project from inception through project completion and ongoing building operations. By exploring the 2030 Commitment tools developed to assist firms with measuring and tracking energy use across a firm’s entire design portfolio, attendees will learn new methods for evaluating current practice and identifying areas to improve.

A panel of firm principals will share how results from the first year of reporting helped inform and improve the process of measuring and tracking project goals across the firm. Attendees will also hear the lessons learned and strategies implemented by these firms to demonstrate progress from year one to year two. Attendees will be inspired by the effort of architecture firms embracing the challenge at hand.

Keynote Presentations

During the general sessions, the 2012 National Convention will look at the architect’s role in the past, present and future.

On Thursday, May 17, historian and author David McCullough will share his profound understanding of the cultural forces that have influenced architects and architecture in the United States since the founding of the AIA more than 150 years ago. McCullough is a two-time winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and has received the Presidential Metal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

Following a real world look at the economic conditions by Kermit Baker, Ph.D., chief economist of the AIA, the Honorable Shaun Donovan will look at ways the profession and practitioners can help lead the change in light of a slowly gaining economic recovery in Friday’s keynote. Donovan is an architect currently serving as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and has devoted his career to ensuring access to safe, decent and affordable housing.

Saturday’s special ceremony, Architects of Healing, will honor the architects who orchestrated rebuilding initiatives and designed the memorials following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In addition to the inspiring stories of the rebuilding and memorial at the Pentagon and the Flight 93 National Memorial, six architects who offered their training and experience to help rebuild and memorialize Ground Zero will share their emotions, observations and anecdotes, including Daniel Libeskind, FAIA; David Childs, FAIA; Michael Arad, AIA; Craig Dykers, AIA; Steve Davis, FAIA; and Santiago Calatrava, FAIA. The architects will receive a specially-cast medal commending them for their contribution to our national healing, while architect team members will also be honored on stage with an AIA Presidential citation.

 

Information courtesy of the American Institute of Architects[1]. To learn more, visit www.aia.org/convention[2].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/aia-2012-preview/

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