Why AIA?
By Chris Bowling, Assoc. AIA
Chris is the 2006-07 Community Director of the National Associates Committee. He is currently an ARE candidate in Louisville, Kentucky.
When I completed my undergraduate studies in architecture I grabbed my things, my fiancé, and moved out to California. I was thrilled about my new adventures and life after school. The last thing on my mind was joining the AIA, because I had no idea what it did other than take my money. As a recent graduate and Intern Architect, obviously I didn’t have much money. Four years lapsed and I went to Graduate School.
While in Graduate School I realized that architects did not reach out to the community as much as they should. Once I graduated, I joined a local firm in Louisville, KY and at that time the local component president for AIA was a co-worker. I shared my thoughts about out reach and he asked for my involvement in the AIA. I learned that the AIA is a great platform to pursue interests that benefit the architectural profession whether it is internal or external. The president created a new committee that I was to head titled Architects in Education where I took national best practice models and created two curricula for teaching kids about architecture. Through this committee I lead a group of seasoned registered architects and other Associate AIA members. I wrote and was awarded a grant from the American Architectural Foundation for a program for a local High School. Without the support, both via funds and people, it would have been extremely hard to create an outreach program to educate the public on architecture.
Joining the AIA allowed me to pursue an interest with support and opened up many other avenues for civic involvement. It also allowed me to exhibit and progress my leadership skills, which is difficult in a firm as an Intern Architect. My desire to continue my involvement lead me to become the Regional Associate Director for the Ohio Valley Region and be apart of the National Associates Committee. Through my involvement I have had opportunities to participate and network that I would have not had if I never got involved. My leadership and presentation skills have greatly improved since my involvement and I have a better understanding of the profession and its future.
One of the issues that I plan on pursuing for my region is to improve the Associates’ knowledge of the profession and to empower them. A Regional Associate Summit is being planned that will allow for networking, peer mentoring, and presentation of information that will empower the Associates.
So what can the AIA do for you? It can give you experience that you would have a hard time attaining. It can give you a voice in the direction of the profession. It can advocate for legislation for architects. It can give you a vast network of people that share a common goal. It can give you a central location of knowledge about the industry, buildings, business management, trends, and other items. It can give you tools to improve your abilities. It can give you many things, but what the AIA can provide is contingent upon what its members put into it.
It is up to you.