The Angle

August 28, 2008

Denver Abuzz: A Perspective on the Sights, Sounds, and Experiences of the DNC Convention

There's nothing quite like a city alive with the buzz of democracy at work.  When we learned that Denver would be hosting the Democratic National Convention, I had no idea that it would transform our downtown so completely.  While most conversations over the past year focused on the projected economic benefit of having over 150,000 visitors and worldwide exposure delivered from the laptops of 15,000 media personnel, or the potential catastrophe of an under prepared security force, I recall very little discussion about what the experience would feel like. 

Denver had the foresight 30 years ago to convert one of it's core streets into a mile long central spine, dedicated to pedestrians and free shuttle busses.  It capitalized on a warehouse district that despite great architectural character, was languishing 15 years ago, developed sports venues in strategic locations, modified zoning guidelines and provided development incentives with the result being a budding, vibrant, mixed-use urban core.  Many of you have been here perhaps as recently as the National AIA Convention and are familiar with the city.  However, the experience of walking down the mall and being swept up in the electricity of political passions, opportunistic capitalism, and individual style statements is like nothing else I've witnessed. 

There have been some minor incidents but 99% of the action has been exceptionally civil, with Obama supporters trying to convince a group of women carrying Hillary placards (hours after her speech) to get on board with the Unity theme, protesters aligned with Recreate 68 or the Anarchists getting their message out, Republicans and Democrats attending the events side by side to experience the special nature of the occasion, and a noticeable respect for our first amendment rights.  (I'm still not quite sure how Anarchists organize at specific times and places while maintaining their commitment to anarchy but am proud they are doing so).  And one of the primary emotions that I feel is pride that we can have such a rich expression of diversity for multiple days running with a limited amount of blown fuses.

It's like a huge improv dance taking place in a setting that appears to have been designed just for this occasion.  Celebrities and ordinary folks alike flowing from small dialogue groups on economic or energy policy to restaurant stops, past vendors hawking Frisbees and a special 2008 DNC coffee blend to visits of the Performing Arts Complex or new art museum designed by Daniel Leibeskin.  A feast for the eyes and ears watching the motion and listening to the conversations.  True, we did have to close several major arterial streets to accommodate the free flow of pedestrians while maintaining security, so it wouldn't work as a permanent arrangement, but it's like a huge block party without most of the insanity that comes from too many Mardi Gras drinks.  The move to Invesco Field tonight will be a security challenge of major proportions as well, but we're anticipating the electric atmosphere that comes from participating in such a historic event with 90,000 of your closest friends and strangers.

I was inside the Pepsi Center Tuesday night and again the energy level was palpable.  All the big names looking to cover the obvious stories as well as those below the surface: from Reuters to the Wall Street Journal, the BBC to Al Jazeera.  Powerful speeches around consistent themes of energy independence and hope.  Governor Schweitzer of Montana spoke of the world energy crisis and the need to break our addiction to foreign oil and our costly reliance on fossil fuels.  He connected back to the idealism of JFK who demonstrated leadership and confidence by stating unequivocally that we would put a man on the moon, and Schweitzer implored us to have the courage to set similar bold goals for energy independence.  Hillary spoke passionately of leaving a legacy and filling the lives of our children with the possibility of hope.  Discussions after her speech took the position that she fully embraced the theme of unity and did what was necessary to heal party divisions.

Notable were local attempts to address sustainability issues at the convention.  With a lofty goal of reducing waste by 90%, a group of 1,000 volunteers set out to monitor how people were disposing of everything they were not willing to take home with them.  Instead of putting a recycle basket next to each garbage can and hoping for the best, they had landfill, recycle and compost bins and monitored every item with a trajectory toward one of the baskets.  I found it to be an entertaining spectator sport.  Part reflex test, part education seminar and part 'what's that substance?', the game was played with so much enthusiasm by the volunteers that they soon had several of the local custodial staff playing right alongside.  While they probably didn't hit their goal, I'm convinced they made a substantial impact in what got hauled to the landfill and thousands of people probably learned something about what common items are compostable and recyclable these days.

Also, in an attempt to make a serious dent in the number of discarded plastic water bottles, Denver Water handed out reusable bottles to the delegates and media with instructions to refill with tap water or at a mobile truck filled with chilled water.  And of the 500 or so Colorado State students that came down from Ft. Collins to help, many came in busses powered by bio diesel fuel.  Token gestures?  Major breakthroughs?  Carbon offsets alone can't justify the impact of thousands of us flying to conventions like Greenbuild, but until we can do virtual conferences, we'll have to learn from and build on moves like those above.

All in all, an amazing experience that keeps my faith in people from all walks of life.  At least until November.....  But we'll stay out of the partisan dialogue...

H. Joshua Gould, AIA, LEED AP
CEO, RNL

(Editor's Note: Many thanks to RNL, the firm that hosted the AIA Walk the Walk reception on Tuesday, August 26!)

August 26, 2008

DNC Convention First Night Experience: Kin DuBois, FAIA

DNC, First Night, Monday, August 25, 2008

5:00 p.m. Hall Pass - means the nosebleed seats at the Pepsi Center arena, the usual home of the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche. Found out at 3:30 that we had obtained two passes for the evening, got a ride from AIA Colorado Executive Director Sonia Riggs, who pulled up to a barricaded alley an the campus of the Auraria Higher Education Center. After dashing across the campus, through a gantlet of security folks, we found our way to set up high but at a perfect angle, just in time to hear a stirring performance by John Legend, complete with a gospel choir in multi-hued robes. He was signing about hope and change "If you're out there..."

Two days ago, at a crepe restaurant with my wife, Sandy, in Toronto's Yorkville, I attempted to answer a question from a canadian at the next table who was celebrating his 68th birthday. He asked why we would hold a Democratic Convention, at the end of over 18 months of primary campaigning, when we already knew the outcome and who the candidate would be. By contrast, in our northern neighbors' parliamentary system, the prime minister calls an election, and they have 30 days max. to campaign. then it's over, and they move sensibly onward. I'm sure I could have done better with my answer, but it went something along the lines of: the party faithfull have been battling it out for well over a year. Don't they - and the rest of us along with them - deserve a break to celebrate, talk about positive things like unity, hope, and so on?

Performances like John Legend's say it much better than I could.

Our job tonight as AIA representatives is to key into the convention and the speakers (Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Jimmy Carter, and Michelle Obama among others queued up for the evening) and take note when the hit on some of the issues that the American Institute of Architects and AIA members across the country, care about the most, professionally. Our ears are likely to perk up at talk of sustainability, energy, the environment, infrastructure, growth, global warming, housing, disaster assistance. We'll be listening for substance and knowledgeable discussion, not lip service.

6:45 By way of disclosure, I was a delegate to the DNC 20 years ago in Atlanta. I'm not impartial - and I wouldn't expect the AIA bloggers who will be attending the RNC in Minneapolis to be, for their part, either. Back in 1988 I listened to impassioned speeches from Jesse Jackson and President Jimmy Carter. Tonight, I've just seen Jimmy Carter again (narrating a video about New Orleans, with a focus on how much help people there still need). And following him is Illinois Representative Jess Jackson, Jr., the son, giving his own dynamic speech, but with a definite new voice and style.

Lines like "While America may not be perfect, our union can be perfected," are the order of the day for this first session. This seems to be all about unity, setting the table. I'm not hearing much in the way of specifics, and, for tonight, that is probably just fine.

7:15 So maybe the green thinking is to be found outside of the speeches. After grabbing a quick sandwich at the break (no food in the arena - this is no Nuggets game), I looked for a trash receptacle. I found two green bins, brought in for the occasion. One was labeled "recycle," the other "compost." This is an idea that appears to be much more successful in theory than in practice. The contents of each is virtually the same.

7:35 Teddy Kennedy looks - and speaks strong! From the program, there was just going to be a video introduced by his niece, Caroline. After the video, she introduced her uncle, and the crowd went wild. These are the kind of moments that punctuate a convention with things worth remembering long afterwards.

8:05 first mention of Al Gore and his efforts on behalf of the planet - from a Republican, for Representative Jim Leach of Iowa. Based on Leach's support of Obama, I wouldn't expect him to be invited to many parties at the RNC in Minneapolis.

The 1988 convention was also filled with moments of high feeling, articulate and memorable speeches. A month later, after we nominated Michael Dukakis, he was last seen spinning around with his head peeking out of the top of an Army tank. Politics can lead down some strange paths, and the next 2 1/2 months will, not doubt, hold some surprises for both parties. But something feels different this time (at least in the sense of their having been more to choose from in the primary process). Maybe over the next three days, we'll find out more about why.

8:30 Michelle Obama, awesome speech (and introduction by her brother). Don't expect specifics here - not her job.

8:50 Spilling outside with thousands of other folks, staggering over to public transportation on the 16th Street Mall, this time through a wall of tee shirt and button vendors, a small collection of law enforcement officers in riot gear - both worth ignoring.

Looking forward to the acceptance speech Thursday, and anything I can get in to see between now and then.

Kin DuBois, FAIA, NCARB
AIA Colorado past-president

August 25, 2008

DNC Convention: "The Dream Lives On"

Well, I have to wake up in only a few hours to catch a plane to Denver to attend the AIA reception there, but here I am glued to the television screen. Earlier in the evening, political commentators on every channel argued that this first night of the Democratic convention was lacking in substance and vigor. Senator Claire McCaskill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Jim Leach, a former Republican, among others took the stage. Neither represented the excitement a political party would want to present on opening night. And no speaker spoke about why Obama should be president and why McCain should not. As CNN put it, "You only have people's attention for a few nights," you need to take advantage of it.

But then we saw a tribute to Ted Kennedy, a scion in our political culture. As James Carville noted on CNN, no one--from any political background, belief, or opinion--could not be touched by the tribute to Kennedy. His long public service (only Robert Byrd and Strom Thurmmond are/were longer serving Senators) is truly astounding. Hearing him speak, one could not help feeling as though we are reaching the end of an era. No family has impacted American politics like the Kennedy clan. The Clintons and Bushes have much more to do to have anywhere close to as big of an imprint on our culture as the Kennedys...for good or bad.

Then came the potential future first lady. Michelle Obama's role would seem to be to give us an idea of Barack Obama as a person. What she did was more extraordinary.

"THE WORLD AS IT IS JUST WON'T DO; WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IT SHOULD BE"
Michelle Obama said those words in arguing what she and her husband have been working towards the last 19 years, and why there is such momentum behind their, yes "their," campaign. She touched on the important timing of this convention (88 years this week since women received the right to vote and 45 years since Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech). She took this opportunity to connect the Obamas to their working class roots to make them seem like every other American family. Instead of a pure bio speech--a common theme of the spouse's convention remarks--she framed the beliefs of the Obama nation. And trying to bring the Hillary devotees, she made sure to pay homage to Senator Clinton, saying she "put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling so our daughters and our suns can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher."

A night that started out slow and took a lot of criticism from the political pundits of the world quickly sped up with the inspirational tribute to Kennedy and the stirring words of Michelle Obama. Once pegged as a liability (Michelle Obama once famously said that "for the first time" she was proud to be an American), many can argue tonight that she is Barack Obama's greatest asset.

Did the Dems start out too slow? Are they taking cues from the 2004 Kerry convention and leaving the election unframed and missing the opportunity to peg themselves against McCain and Bush? What did you take from tonight's events?

Tomorrow, we head to Denver and see the convention firsthand. Check back and read our impressions and hear about experiences. And don't forget to share with us your take on all the proceedings this week and next!

--Hannah--

July 25, 2008

Who Will the Vice Presidential Candidates Be?

For those of us in DC, the speculation of who the VP candidates will be this fall is ever-present. It seems that every day a new name joins the mix, or another name falls off the infamous short-list. Countless reporters speculate on which senators, represenatives, or governors will be chosen, and those politicians in turn remove their name from the running or suggest they might be interested in the job, if asked (which they are...a lot).

A recent poll shared by Ron Faucheux, president of the Clarus Research Group (and a former staff member at AIA National as well as respected political forecaster), surveyed Americans on what qualities they would like in a VP candidate. What did they say? 

Republican voters and those independent voters who lean Republican where asked:
As you know, John McCain has won enough delegates to be the Republican Nominee. Which one qualification do you think would be the most important for [the Republican vice presidential candidate] to have?
The top response was “someone who is a strong conservative on social and economic issues,” which garnered 27 percent of responses. Sixteen percent stated that someone with experience dealing with the economy was the key qualification, while someone who would appeal to moderate independent voters only garnered five percent.
Democratic voters and Democrat-leaning independent voters were asked the same question for nominee Barack Obama’s VP choice.
The top response was “someone with experience dealing with the economy” at 22 percent followed by “someone with military and foreign policy experience” at 21 percent. Appeal to Hillary Clinton supporters garnered 13 percent of responses, while “someone who would appeal to moderate independent voters” received 7 percent.
In the general election campaign, as opposed to the primaries, it is fairly common for presidential candidates to move towards the center in order to try to gain the vote of moderates and independent voters. Despite this, there are some clear differences in how these voters view a running mate's addition to the ticket. According to this poll, Republican voters are most concerned about their candidate’s stance on conservative issue and see the VP candidate as someone who can add to the conservative platform for the party. Democratic voters see the VP candidate as someone who can fill in the gaps of possible weaknesses for Obama. And it comes as no surprise that voters in both parties clearly have the economy on their mind.
As the days tick down to the national party conventions (31 days until the Democrats convene in Denver and 38 until the Republican Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul), political junkies and pundits alike, and for the first time in a long time, many voters, are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for the announcements. Rumors have been swirling for days that McCain's choice could be announced as early as this week, though the campaign has not confirmed this.
Just who are the VP front runners? NYTimes "Election 2008 Guide" speculates on each candidate's shortlist. Rumored Democratic VP choices include Hillary Clinton (though this is probably unlikely), Senators Evan Bayh and Joe Biden (himself a former presidential candidate), and governors Kathleen Sebelius, Tim Kaine, and Bill Richardson (yet another former Obama opponent). Senator Chuck Hagel (a Republican!) has even been rumored to be on the list, as well as past VP candidate and former Senator John Edwards.
For McCain, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is one of the most-mentioned choices, as well as former McCain opponents Mitt Romney (who could deliver with his economic success) and Mike Huckabee (who can offer his strong ties to the heartland). Senators Lindsay Graham and John Thune are likely on the list, as well as former Democratic VP nominee Joseph Liebermann, who is now an Independent.
The outcome is anyone's guess at this point. Each short-list name brings clear electoral benefits to the respective candidate, but can McCain and Obama picture working side-by-side for four, maybe eight, years with these people? Though we would all like to be put out of our misery and learn whose names and faces we will see in countless TV ads and on campaign propaganda, there is a little something to be said for waiting and finding out during the conventions. There are so few surprises left in life, why not one more?
Who do you think the candidates will choose, and why?

 

 

July 16, 2008

Presidential Candidates: Are They Green?

In recent years, sustainability has become a major discussion issue for many politicians, organizations, and citizens across the nation. For the AIA, it has been an issue even longer. Before it became a popular theme, architects have taken up the issue of stewarding the environment in their designs.

The AIA’s position statement on sustainable architectural practice states:

“The AIA recognizes a growing body of evidence that demonstrates current planning, design, construction, and real estate practices contribute to patterns of resource consumption that seriously jeopardize the future of the Earth’s population. Architects need to accept responsibility for their role in creating the built environment and, consequently, believe we must alter our profession’s actions and encourage our clients and the entire design and construction industry to join with us to change the course of the planet’s future.”

As a result of this strong position, and the personal commitment of many architects, AIA members have called and e-mailed to ask where Sens. McCain and Obama stand on many issues, especially sustainability.

Grist, an environmental commentary Web site, has a great comparison chart for voters to review where candidates stand on environmental issues. The site also has more general information and resources on the candidates and their environmental records and positions.

So what can you do other than educating yourself on the candidates’ position? Try to get the 2030 Resolution into the national parties’ platforms. The Republican Party has opened up the platform development process to the public. By going to http://gopplatform2008.com/intro.aspx, citizens can submit a text or video suggestion on what should be included.

The Democrats are taking a similar route. At http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/listening/, the Obama campaign encourages individuals to host platform meetings and discussions about the issues important to them which they believe should be important in the fall election campaign. 

Want a suggestion on what to propose? The AIA’s 2030 resolution is available here. For more information and info, contact designvote@aia.org.

The Angle Blog will explore more issues important to architects in the coming weeks. Let us know the issues, topics, etc. that you want us to explore.

June 17, 2008

Intern Development Program Six-Month Rule to be Voted on in June

Next week, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) will hold their Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh. Perhaps one of the most highly debated agenda times is Resolution 2008-07, also known as the “six-month rule.”  This resolution will require interns to report Intern Development Program (IDP) training units within two months following a six month training period or face the loss of those hours on a rolling basis for every day that the report is late.

In response to this resolution, the AIA Board of Directors, during the National Convention in Boston (May 15-17, 2008), approved the following position:

The Board requests that NCARB suspend any action on limitations to Intern Development Program (IDP) reporting periods (through the six-month rule) until a comprehensive evaluation can be conducted of the new online recording system.

The Board also requests that a collaborative effort between the AIA and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) be established to satisfy documentation concerns through the examination of time sensitive reporting including:

  • The evaluation of the new online system by an independent third party(ies) selected jointly by the AIA and NCARB;
  • The appropriate review of the “timeliness” of reporting in this modern context; and
  •  The development of recommendations concerning changes to IDP training unit reporting.

What do you think about the proposed “six-month rule?” Should NCARB regulate a reporting rule? If yes, what time period do you recommend?

June 4, 2008

Op-Ed: Beyond Government Advocacy – The Role of the Architect as a Regulator

In this week's Angle (June 5, 2008), AIA Codes and Standards Committee Chair Henry A. Kosarzycki, AIA, tells us why architects need to be more engaged in the codes development process. We ask you to share your personal stories on why such involvement is important, or what you think about architects' involvement in this area of the construction and building sector.

Kosarzycki's opinion piece is posted below:

Op-Ed: Beyond Government Advocacy – The Role of the Architect as a Regulator
Henry A. Kosarzycki, AIA, Codes & Standards Committee Chair

At times, architects and AIA members may become complacent about building codes, developing a sense of comfort or security based on the perception that someone else “with an interest in codes” is representing our profession and interests. As the chair of the AIA Codes and Standards Committee, though, I’ve spent over ten years observing the architects diminishing role amidst an unprecedented rise in codes and standard development.

The truth is, at no time in the history of our profession has the engagement of the architect in the codes development process been more important than it is right now. Codes continue to shape our built environment and significantly impact our practice; at times, though, our profession chooses to play the role of consumer. Active engagement opportunities can be found at all levels of federal, state, and local government. Involvement in the development of codes and standards represents yet another invaluable and vital opportunity for the engagement of the architect.

As an example from my home state of Wisconsin, the state posted plan review positions in several locations around the state; no architects submitted their applications. The International Code Council (ICC) recently announced and requested applicants for three code action committees, out of 150 applications, less than five were from architects. 

These examples play out time and time again from coast to coast. We have to recognize that if we remain just consumers, our frustrations will continue, but as active participants our contributions could be boundless.

Health, safety, and welfare regulations continue to grow exponentially. Life safety, fire, and structural performance serve as the foundation for what we recognize as the suite of codes that shape our designs. The health of the building occupants expands our aperture into light, ventilation, mechanical systems, and interior environment. A federal law addressing non-discriminatory action based on an individual’s physical capability brought barrier removal and accessibility into the architect’s scope of responsibility. Most recently, we find ourselves reacting to codes and regulations being written and adopted in response to environmental concerns from issues such as erosion and stormwater runoff to energy efficient design. The rules and principals guiding our involvement from programming through construction administration significantly impact each of us and the buildings that we deliver. The collective engagement of the architectural profession is based on the leadership role assumed by every architect throughout all levels of development, adoption, and enforcement.

It has become a cliché to say that architects play an important role in the building process. Our contribution to the process is not only appreciated, but sought after at all levels. The architect’s greater understanding of the planning, design, and building process, along with a comprehensive understanding of the collective resolve of individual structures, puts us in a strategic leadership role. Participation on building and zoning boards, code committees, and adoption processes, and even something as simple as offering to become a trusted advisor to a decision maker, are only a handful of examples of how architects can engage. 

The architect’s engagement in the code’s arena is vastly underutilized throughout the country. Our profession, and the public we serve, suffer as a result. Let’s work together to change that.

May 8, 2008

New Angle E-mail Format: What do you think?

This issue, The Angle is trying a new format to assist our readers. What do you think? What else can The Angle do to make it more useful to you? Let us know.

April 10, 2008

Advocacy Week Recap: What have we learned?

AIA members met with more than 40 members of Congress and their staffs across the nation last week as part of the first-ever AIA Advocacy Week, reporting positive feedback from lawmakers on the AIA’s advocacy agenda.


Most notably, AIA members reported strong support from members of Congress to the AIA’s call to eliminate a 10 percent withholding on government contracts awarded to architects and engineers. AIA components reported strong support on the issue across state and party lines, and many legislators expressed their desire to co-sponsor legislation to eliminate the withholding.

Response to another AIA key ask, legislation to promote green housing, was positive.

Please share your component’s Advocacy Week experience. What worked? What didn’t work? What did your legislators say and do in your meeting? What was your impression?

March 27, 2008

What would you like Local Government Relations to do for you?

The Local Relations team has recently been established within the Government and Community Relations department. A number of broad strategic plan goals have already been established for the year, ranging from the development of the Local Government Network to advocating for legislative and regulatory change to continued collaboration with NACo and the US Conference of Mayors. Within these goals, there will be a strong focus on sustainability, but as the program is new, there is an opportunity for you, the AIA members, and component leaders to tell the AIA what you would like Local Government Relations to do for you.

What issues are important to you at the local level, and how do you think AIA National can bolster your efforts and make local AIA components even more successful than they already are?