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July 2009 Archives

July 10, 2009

Has the Recession Felled Pre-Fab?

Michelle Kaufman's Sunset Breezehouse.Cat-like, it would seem that pre-fab is inching closer to unlucky number 9. Michelle Kaufman, AIA, one of contemporary pre-fab’s industry leaders, laid off 17 employees and closed her Oakland office in May after constricted credit markets and shuttered component factories made her business model untenable. Christopher Hawthorne at the Los Angles Times has noted the symbolic import of this decline, which paints the Great Recession as the latest pre-fab killer in a history that runs over a century.   

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July 14, 2009

Patience Is a Virtue (But Action Feeds the Bulldog)

0717 BlogMany people are asking: When's it going to get better, already? "We're only 140 days into this deal. It's supposed to take 18 months," Vice President Biden has been reminding critics of late. So why are we already hearing some pundits tolling the bells of defeat; some even asking for another stimulus infusion?

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July 23, 2009

Blind and So He Sees

There are certain elements of Chris Downey's story that are inspirational as human interest alone: an architect suddenly losing his sight then losing his job with Michelle Kaufman Designs has nonetheless kept strong his joy of being alive and tenacity for being employed.

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July 29, 2009

Communicate Directly with the 2010 and 2011 AIA Presidents Elect

by Marvin Malecha, FAIA, 2009 AIA President

In formulating a strategice plan for 2010-2015, the AIA elected leadership has solicited input from internal and external stakeholders from the very outset; an effort that continues to-date and will continue through October.

If the outcome of what was an amazingly thoughtful and productive planning meeting July 10-11 can be boiled down to a few words, two come to mind: continuity and evolution.
• “Continuity” because many elements of the AIA’s current strategic plan have demonstrated their value and stood the test of time
• “Evolution” because we have the benefit of learning from experience, and, more to the point, the AIA serves a dynamic profession being shaped by and responding to change that grows more dynamic with each passing day.

Time and again research shows that the recognized value of an organization is in direct proportion to a member’s engagement. My asking you to become engaged in shaping the AIA’s future has a higher motivation as well. Through open member-to-member discussion, we connect to the Institute’s core values and goals to increase member value.

Please take a moment to look at the draft plan and give us your feedback. Let us know if the draft strategies are relevant for the future of the AIA. What do the strategies mean to you as a member? What challenges and opportunities will the AIA face in implementing these strategies? Are there more relevant strategies that have been missed?

In the near future, you will also have the opportunity to participate in one of three Web seminars—hosted by 2010 President-elect George Miller, FAIA, and 2011 President-elect Clark Manus, FAIA. The first is Wednesday, August 26, noon–1 p.m. ET; the second is September 9, 5–6 p.m. ET; and the third is Wednesday, September 16, 2–3 p.m. ET. Watch your e-mail in-box for more information about these Webinars.

About July 2009

This page contains all entries posted to AIArchitect in July 2009. They are listed from oldest to newest.

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