AIA CHARLOTTE CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
March 11, 2016
AIA Happenings






The Connect NC Committee, a bipartisan committee of business and community leaders, is the official referendum committee charged with advocating for the passage of the $2 billion Connect NC statewide bond, on the  March 15, 2016 primary ballot.
AIA North Carolina has joined the Committee to help ensure passage of these needed infrastructure funds.
Existing bond debt for the state has been paid down and paid off. Because of this, the Connect NC bond can be issued and paid for without increasing any tax burden on North Carolinians.

In order to pass the bond, the Connect NC Committee organized a campaign committee to educate and mobilize primary voters to vote YES  on March 15.
IN THIS ISSUE
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AIA Charlotte 2016 Design Awards Call for Entries EXTENDED to   

Monday , March 28th

Jury Chair 
Drew White, FAIA
Axis Architecture 

What's New for 2016?
  • Online digital submission process -  Access Here
  • New Member Discount for multiple submissions
  • New Categories!!!
    • Design Award
      • Design Award
      • Unrealized Project Award 
        (New!)
         
    • Residential Awards
      • Residential Design Award
      • Residential Renovation Award 
        (New!)
    • Divine Detail Award 
      (New!)
 
Awards Gala June 2016
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AIA Charlotte welcomes Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts as the speaker at the upcoming AIA Charlotte Membership Meeting.

Come enjoy lunch, meet with other members and hear from Charlotte's newly-elected mayor, Jennifer Roberts.
  
Date: Tuesday, March 15 

Time: 
11:30 - 12:00  Registration, Networking, Lunch
12:00 - 1:00    Program

Where: Byron's South End, 101 W Worthington Ave


Interested in sponsoring? Find more information on sponsorship opportunities here.
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Urban Design Guidelines by Gensler. Photo by David Walters
Date:  Tuesday, March 22
Time: 9:00 - 11:00
Location: UNC Charlotte Center City Building, 320 E, 9th Street
Cost: Free for Members
$25 for non-members


Presenters:  
David Walters, RIBA, APA
Architect and Town Planner
Professor Emeritus of Architecture and Urban Design
UNC Charlotte

Craig Lewis, AICP, LEED AP, CNU-A
Principal
Urban Places Group
Stantec

Urban design is one of the key pillars of a healthy and vibrant city. The organization of spaces between buildings and the details of building façades are critical in defining safe, attractive, and functional public space. But violation of basic tenets of good urbanism can severely damage the economic success and quality of life in downtowns, business corridors, and urban neighborhoods.
This workshop will explain state of the art concepts of urban public space design with their historical context, and, using a series of metrics and illustrations, the presentation will demonstrate how architectural design can make or mar an urban environment.
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City Exchange Workshop Info:
Date:
Friday March 18, 11am - 5pm
Registration:
Free . Contact Juliane Kuminski, AIA, AIANC Emerging Professionals Director at jkuminski@clarknexsen.com, (919) 828-1876.
Location:
IDEXlab Warehouse in Boone, NC. Driving directions will be provided. (See map below.)
Transportation:
We would like as many volunteers as possible to car pool to the IDEXlab. Juliane is keeping a list of members willing to drive and those needing a ride.
Description:
We will be spending one day with Appalachian State IDEXlab students, in a two-part workshop.  A critique is planned for the first half of the day, as
the IDEXlab students present their MOBILab project, in the midst of construction.  The second part of the workshop will be spent designing and building a solution to a problem the students have created for the AIA Emerging Professionals. Participants will be asked to design and build the students' break room in their newly acquired warehouse.

Come with appropriate personal protective equipment, including safety eye wear, long pants, boots, and gloves. Tools and materials will be provided by Appalachian State University. The workshop will take place in an interior space; however, come prepared to layer up or down as conditions warrant.
Lunch:
Will be provided.
 
You can find more information on the App State IDEXlab at this link: http://idexlab.wix.com/idexlab
 
   App State IDEXlab Location
 
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· Monday, March 14 - put out yard signs at voting precincts
· Tuesday, March 15 - work shifts from 6.30 a.m. - 7.30 p.m. at voting precincts handing out flyers
 
Please contact Karen Price at kprice@charlottechamber.com to volunteer.
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The Task Force call to action follows results of a Harvard University and University of California-Berkeley study that looked at the upward mobility for children living in large metropolitan areas. The report revealed that the Charlotte area ranked 50th out of the 50 largest US cities (and 97th in the 100 largest US cities).
Sharing your thoughts around opportunity in Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a way for you to directly engage in this important initiative.
To respond to the survey, click here.
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What can architects learn from an award-winning producer and actor Kevin Spacey? A lot. 
Spacey's keynote address is where you will learn to be a game changer from a master innovator, collaborator, and disruptor. Don't miss this opportunity at AIA Convention 2016.
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The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) appoints the Building-Development Commission (BDC) as an advisory board to Code Enforcement. Membership includes representation from the design, construction and development communities, as well as the public. Check out www.meckpermit.com and go to "About Us" for more information. Contact your representative if you have any specific issues you would like the BDC to consider.
 
 
The following is a brief summary of significant matters impacting the design and construction community on which the Building Development Commission and the Code Enforcement Department have focused on from October 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. Further details on each of these follows: 
·         Inspections realignment
·         Customer Service Center opens at Suttle Ave
·         Quarterly reports indicate many repeating inspection defects
·         BOCC approves adding 20 positions


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Renegotiating contracts for each scope of service is time-consuming and delays projects. Join us for a free webinar on how the AIA Master Agreements contractual model can be used to streamline the contracting process with consultants you use most often.

March 29, 2:00 PM EST. Register here. 
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Stop by and learn about plans underway to address Charlotte's growth and transportation needs. Come share what you want to see and how you want to MOVE as Charlotte grows.

When: Tuesday, March 22, 2016
4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where:
Grady Cole Center
310 North Kings Drive
 28204
Presented by:
Charlotte Dept. of Transportation
Click here for more information.
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Show off your design skills while doing something great for the community!

Join AIA Charlotte in demonstrating the power of design in a month-long celebration of Architecture, kicking off with the CANstruction event.
 
All cans used in the builds will be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank at the conclusion of the week.
 
A distinguished jury will select and award teams for the following categories: Best Meal, Structural Ingenuity, Best Use of Labels, and People's Choice.
 
Registration Fee: $150 per team | FREE entry for student teams. Limit 5 people per team. Fee includes CANstruction t-shirts for team members.
 
Register online here | Build Day: Saturday, April 16
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AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA announces AIA's partnership with Houzz for a charitable children's playhouse design competition, PlayHouzz 2016. People vote for their favorite design, and the winning entry will be built and displayed at the AIA Convention in Philadelphia.  
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Calling all architecture firms in Uptown and South End! As part of Architecture Month 2016, please join us for the 2016 AIA Charlotte Firm Crawl.
Each year, Charlotte architecture firms open their doors to fellow AIA members and the general public for this fun and exciting part of Architecture Month.
If your firm would like to participate, email info@aiacharlotte.org 
 
Dates:  
Uptown on Wednesday, April 6.

NEW
South End on Wednesday, April 20.  
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ACSA / AIA Intersections Symposium
On May 18, on the eve of Convention, find out which new technologies are most innovative, impactful, even revolutionary. Speakers will discuss new mechanisms and profound ideas with the potential to transform the industry. AIA CES: 7.5 LU/HSW credits.
Details
Registration 
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Volunteer for AEC Cares projectPhiladelphia
This annual "blitz build" service project, held one day before the AIA annual Convention, will bring architects and other industry professionals together to make urgent repairs and upgrades to the Philadelphia Athletic Recreation Center, used by hundreds of children in the Sharswood neighborhood for after school and sports programs.
Learn more and register. 
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TAPTalks: BIM the Building Code - automating the building code into your model
When: Tuesday, March 29
12:00 PM
Where:
Dilworth Neighborhood Grille
911 E Morehead Street
 
Presenter: Jim Bish - IMAGINiT
This course is designed as a launching pad for ideas of how to remove human error from building code requirements, and insert automated processes into a Building Information Model.
BIM allows Architects to use the software tool in a new way that they may have never considered. This course is not designed as a how-to, but is designed to open minds to the possibilities available.
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UNC-Charlotte has begun its open process to solicit public input from the campus community regarding the transformation of Belk Plaza.
LandDesign, a Charlotte-based urban design and landscape architecture firm, has been hired to provide recommendations for an improved aesthetic and functional design.
The Belk Plaza Committee and LandDesign have conducted two of three public forums to seek ideas about the features of a redesigned plaza.  The first two forums were for participants to share ideas for consideration. The conceptual plan for the plaza will be presented at the final forum, to be held in the Cone University Center, J. P. Lucas Room on April 4.

When: 4 - 6 p.m. on Monday, April 4.
Where: Cone Center, Lucas Room at UNC-Charlotte
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First Annual "ABC Charlotte Primetime" Event
This is a free networking event for Architects, General Contractors, Owners, Engineers & Subs.
To RSVP for your firm, contact powell@abccarolinas.org.

When:
  Thursday, March 24th 2016
              Set-up 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
              4:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Where:  Embassy Suites - Concord
               5400 John Q. Hammons Dr. NW, Concord, NC 28027
 
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Important Upcoming Dates
 
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AIA Knowledge Communities: Upcoming Opportunities

  • 2016 Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) Healthcare Design Awards. Submit by March 14, 2016.
  • Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) U40 List: List of Healthcare Design's Best Under 40. Submit an application by April 1, 2016.
  • Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) 2016 Call for Papers: Submit articles, innovative project case studies, completed research projects, and monographs in the field of healthcare design by May 31, 2016.
  • ACSA / AIA Housing & Community Development Workshop. An interactive workshop on increasing information exchange between academics, communities, and practitioners on housing and community development. Up to 7 LUs. March 16-17. Details and Registration
    2016
  • AIA Innovation and Practice in House Design Research Grant. A $7,000 grant offered by the Small Project Practitioner and Housing Knowledge Communities funds a design professional to research a topic in small-scale or small-firm residential design. Application Deadline: March 23, 5:00 PM EST
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Career Center: Latest Job Postings

In 2016, AIA Charlotte member firms receive three free job postings per calendar year on the AIA Charlotte website and weekly e-newsletter. Additional job postings or re-postings are $75.00 and can be purchased here.

New Career Center Postings


Hall Architects, Inc. 3/9/2016


Creech & Associates 3/9/2016

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