Just tryna REPRESENT!

As you may or may not recall, recent graduates from architecture school may take advantage of a free Associate Membership to the AIA. This "complimentary membership" is available for graduates for 18 months after graduation, in other words, the rest of the year after graduation and the next full year.

While I was not aware of this until a year after graduation, you know I still tapped that. So I was a free Associate Member of the AIA, loosely, for the last 7 months of 2010. I didn't participate too much, in fact the only event attended was a design charette at a local college. You may recall my post on this. I figured that after my free membership was up, I'd probably just drop out of the AIA world until I became registered. After all, unless you're an architect you're only an "Associate Member," so where's the prestige in that?

However, I learned that there are in fact Associate Member positions on the executive board of my local chapter. I was intrigued by this, but I did not wish to volunteer myself for the vacant position, as my free membership was to expire with the start of the new year. I decided I would try to see if my employers would oblige me the renewed membership. They acquiesced, and as you can imagine, I am now one of two Associate Member Representatives for the Eastern PA chapter of the AIA.

With this new position, I have already contrived several goals:

First and foremost, I wish to spread the word of the complimentary AIA (associate) membership to as many local accredited universities as I can. Indicative of the success of my word-spreading will be the large spike of increased Associate Members come May, June, July of 2011.

Second and next-most(?), I wish to coordinate a mega awesome Associate event. Allegedly, most AIA chapters have one associate event per year, as accommodated in their respective budgets. Our EPC branch has not had much success with the Associate events so they have stopped organizing them. I already sort of have an Associate Member event tentatively scheduled for the Fall of 2011, which should highly appeal to my newfound members, as per my first goal. This event is the result of some minor networking I experienced at the first AIA meeting of the year, which was joint with CSI.

Those are my two major goals right now. While I have other ideas about other things I wish to achieve in my tenure as an Ass. Mem. Rep., I think I will only bite off as much as I can chew right now.

Just wanted to share the news with you and let you know I'll probably be documenting some of my experiences through this blahhg.

Made to Order: Everyday

While trying to persuade somone to your side, it's important to keep the three pillars of rhetoric:

Pathos Appeal - appeal to someone's emotions
Ethos Appeal - appeal to someone's morality

Logos Appeal - appeal to someone's logic

In the world of design, you might also have to use yet another appeal style:

I'mBusyos Appeal - appeal to someone's laziness.

An Architect exists so a client won't need to understand the contracting, structure or emotion of construction. You want to involve the client, but not let them take the reins, the selling of this relationship is up to you. Design principles are always fun to explain, but the harsh reality of actually getting it done is the quickest way to crush their spirit.

However, Colin Harman of Lynchburg, Virginia may have just made this easier for all of us:

http://colinharman.com/2010/07/03/how-would-you-like-your-graphic-design

I also wanted to include a drawing of the Virtruvian Triangle of:

Firmness, Commodity and Delight

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Vitruvius/1*.html#3.2

but google-images has failed me. When my photoshop is back up and running, I'll remedy that.

DA GUMMINT!

If you haven’t been able to guess, I’m a sucker for Thomas Jefferson’s thoughts on Architecture. I’m not embarrassed that on my bookshelf, somewhere between Simon Schama’s The Power of Art and Kate Nesbit’s Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture, you will find two books on Monticello, one on Federal Architecture and a framed portrait of Tommy Boy himself. Though to be fair, I also have portraits of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and John Adams (the last one being a gift from a Red-headed Juvenal scholar).

Thomas Jefferson was not the first Architect of the United States, I’m sorry, he just wasn’t. What he was, however, was the first Architectural Theorist.

My absolute favorite Jefferson/Architecture moment is when he sends a letter to James Madison from his travels abroad. In this letter he goes on and on about the Maison Carree at Nimes (an ancient Roman Temple, located in Southern France). Jefferson called it a “most beautiful and precious morsel of architecture left us by antiquity.” He later goes on to say that this Temple should be the basis of the Virginia State Capital Building. The French Architect who Jefferson had been touring with then tried to point out that Jefferson had misunderstood the entire point of the structure and that it would be foolish and impractical to base a public building off of completely irrelevant design principles. Jefferson, in true American fashion, responds with a “Well, Imma do it anyway.”* Then he did. Classic.

Why bring this up? Because the Thomas Jefferson awards have been distributed for 2010.

The Thomas Jefferson award is for, as the AIA put it, “Architects…that have all had a vital and positive influence on architecture’s interaction with the public at large.” One of the winners is Les Shepard, Chief Architect of the General Services Administration. The other two winners being: Curtis Fentress of Fentress Architects and Ken Greenburg of Greenburg Consultants.

While all of these little Urban Archievers (and proud we are all of them) are gifted in the world of initial design, it’s important to note that the bread and butter of Public Architecture is the buildings’ ability to outlast. Public Architecture is a blend of grand, immortal and moralizing ideas which become tangible through aesthetics. However, they are simultaneously a reflection of the times in which they were built. This principle is true of all Architecture, but it carries with it a special kind of poignancy when it comes to Public Architecture as it doesn’t belong to any one client.

Public Architecture does not say “This is who I am and what I want, me, me, me” as a private residence might (I’m looking at you Farnsworth House), rather it says “This is who we are, as a nation, at this place in the life of our Country.” Like a tattoo from a summer which seemed like “an awesome idea” at the time. This group nostalgia and identity is the most beautiful and most difficult part of Public Architecture.

* totally a real quote, like, for real.

ArchRec Selections

I don't know if it's because Architectural Record is officially no longer "the magazine of the AIA," but so far this month's issue is hilarious. This article in particular roused in me a certain guffaw.

I suppose part of me can relate to this "Name Game," because I have had occasion to ponder, if I were to start a firm today, what would I call it? I would certainly not go the route of my last name "& Associates." While I don't think my last name is particularly hard to pronounce (it's actually quite phonetic), in a world of acronyms (PC, TV, DVR, TMI, BFD, FML) and truncated speech (sup, sitch, fo sho, ridic, poss, mos def, na'mean?) I don't think the 11 letters and 4 syllables would endure.

I have a more meaningful and informative post in the works to hopefully hit the e-stream later this weekend. But for now I just wanted to pass along some entertaining industry-related jibber jabber.

I have a feeling the rest of the issue is going to follow a similar critical/humor thread, so it may be worthwhile to drop the coin and pick up a copy. Or at least surf the online version.

Love Letters to Dead Architects: I may not always love you, but I will always have loved you now.

Dear Henry Hobson Richardson,

You, sir, have changed the landscape. Suddenly everything Romantic is passionate once again, no longer the dilapidated or the sad. No more the cold textures of neo classical, not more the spindly witches’ fingers of the neo gothic. No, now we have something ruddy, rough, real and dare I say? Sexy. I mean the arch at the Old Colony Railroad Station? Hot.

Still though, why must America always play homage to Europe? You have broken the first link, getting in with the boys at the Beaux, learning their secrets and changing them to fit your means. But still, why are we continuing to fear the disapproval of our disowned parents?

Just keep kicking it Ecole Vieux. You know, like you do.

With love,

Retly Corm

Dear Pietro Di Cortona,

Don’t let the emotional babies over at the Caravaggisti Camp get you down. They say hurtful things about everyone. They think it makes them cool. Don’t get me started.

So what if you like something light and decorative. Meat and Potatoes may be enough for them, but if you can have something more, why not? Put a loggia next to a garden if it makes you happy. Gently curve an arch, gilt your bronze, just go nuts.

Who does it hurt if you immerse the walls with trompe l’oiel and pastels? They look nice and this is Italy for God’s sake. Whatever you do though, don’t let the French Monarchs get a hold of it; you know that they are going to blow that whole business way out of proportion.

Listen, the Caravaggisti may have that “tortured bad-boy” routine down pact, but their days are numbered. Why? They don’t know they lack a sustainable client.

A rose will always have had barbs, even when they are gone.
Rome will always have a Barberini, even when they disappear.

With Love,

Retly Corm

Louis Sullivan,

You know how much I hate passive-aggressive notes. Would you please stop leaving them around this house?

Now, I understand the counter-intuitive nature of writing a letter to tell you to stop writing notes, so just save us both time and don’t comment on it.

You and I both know what this is really about. You’re upset about the White City. You’re tired of the neo-classical nonsense that seems to be everywhere. They claim it is perfect, clear, logical and of Course you know better. I would feel upset for you, but I spoke to Daniel Burnham. He said you were given a chance to reject the scheme and said nothing.

If “Form Follows Function” should not Action Follow Virtue?

How about some straightforward honesty for once? Don’t retreat if you think it will be unpopular, if you’re going to change the world, you can never apologize.

AND DON’T YOU DARE SHOW THIS TO FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT! THIS DOES NOT CONCERN HIM! FRANK IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE.

With Love,

Retly Corm

NCARB MiniMonographs

I am sure I have already posted about these in the past, but to reiterate, if you are an NCARB record-holder, you should really take advantage of the free mini-monographs made available to you. I just read the last one that I had downloaded and took its corresponding quiz. I am not sure how often these mini's come out, but hopefully they have another one coming out soon.

The one I just read was Accommodations for Seniors, which was relatively informative. I used to work in a senior community, so this kind of design has always been interesting to me (I saved this mini for last for this reason). The most resonating points for me were the fact that the senior population is growing tremendously, so this market is going to really start to take off in the next couple of decades. Particularly since, not only are the senior populations growing in size, but growing in strength, as folks who are older today are also more active (in some cases). So basically accommodations for seniors are going to have to provide more programmatic elements than just spaces for eating, sleeping and congregating.

It's a market I definitely have in the back of my mind for now.

I should say that to get IDP credit for NCARB monographs, you have to be an AIA member. Once you take the online quiz for the monograph, NCARB will send your score to the AIA, who will then put the credits on your AIA transcript. Then you can download your AIA transcript, upload it to NCARB and get the credits in supplemental education. It's a lot of roundabout work for something that probably doesn't really enhance your IDP. I just realized that all my prior mini monographs I read were completed before I joined the AIA, so on Monday I'll see if I can just send the AIA my certificates of completion (I can only find 2 on my hard drive - blast!) and let them go from there.

Pentagon Memorial

On New Year's Day, I visited the Pentagon Memorial with assorted friends and family. Having heard reference to this particular artifact many a time in school, it was most rewarding to experience it firsthand. By the time we had arrived, the sun had retreated and the cloudy sky had begun to drizzle, so we were actually rather tentative about our visit. However, I was not interested in letting this opportunity pass up, so we pressed onward.

And a worthy decision it was. I'll include some photos for your viewing pleasure, but I think the dreary weather added to the ambience of the experience. The plaza was a little desolate and a little eerie, which added to the unearthliness of the benches. Some of the details of the memorial may have otherwise gone unnoticed in the nighttime, were it not for the rain. The rows of benches (each bench designated for a particular victim, arranged in rows based upon birth year) are further articulated by metal strips in the gravel. These metal strips extend throughout the plaza and might have otherwise gone somewhat unnoticed had their rain-covered surface not reflected twinkles of light across its surface. Maybe you can see what I mean in these photos.

Anyway, I think it was a great experience in the night time, and I can imagine the plaza to be more joyous and full of life in the summer. I think it's a worthy trip, perhaps experienced both in light and in dark. I'd like to check it out in the daytime sometime to see some more details and read the name tags associated with each bench.

Here you can see a marking of a birth year.

Sort of an overall view of the Memorial area when you first enter.

The Memorial with the Pentagon in the background.

If you click on this one and get the big image you can kind of see the reflectance of the metal tracks I'm talking about.