AIA Georgia

Legislative Monitor February 20, 2012

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:17:40 GMT

Legislative Monitor
AIA Georgia is gearing up for a productive Grassroots Day at the Capitol tomorrow. View our resolution recognizing February 21, 2012 as American Institute of Architects Grassroots Day here.

SB 358 builds upon legislation AIA Georgia supported two years ago (SB 447), which addresses preference to instate businesses. However, rather than impose discriminatory measures, SB 358 allows Georgia's government to adopt reciprocal measures to protect Georgia businesses. SB 447 defined a resident business and allowed Georgia agencies to formally adopt a State Reciprocal Preference. In essence, if a nonresident architect comes from a state that grants in-state preference, they will be penalized in the same manner when they seek public work in Georgia. SB 358 passed the Senate and has moved into the House. View the legislation here.

SB 445 - Legislation to Restructure State Licensing Boards
Secretary of State Brian Kemp's plan seeks to streamline and reorganize the operations of the 43 state licensing boards. While this is a commendable goal, SB 445 as currently drafted allows the Secretary of State's staff to test for and grant licenses to practice architecture. We are further concerned by changes to education requirements as well as proposed removal of the profession's relationship with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

We welcome the opportunity to discuss our concerns with Secretary Kemp; AIA Georgia opposes SB 445 as it is currently written. AIA Georgia participants in Grassroots Day will attend the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee meeting where the bill will be heard and testify if needed. View the legislation here.

AIA Georgia Testifies before Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:06:07 GMT

Anne K. Smith, AIA (right) and Michael Johnson, AIA testified on Feb. 21 before the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee about our concerns over SB 445. Anne is past president of AIA Georgia and chair of the State Board of Licensing for Architects and Interior Designers.

At the time, SB 445 allowed the Secretary of State's staff to test for and grant licenses to practice architecture in Georiga. We were further concerned by changes to education requirements as well as proposed removal of the profession’s relationship with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since voicing these concerns, we have worked with Secretary Kemp and his legal staff to return language from current statute, although we remain wary of the power granted to the newly created seven member citizen advisory board which will, in fact, act as the new licensing board.

It appears there may be political will to pass this bill through the Senate before crossover day (March 7) despite almost 2 1/2 hours of testimony yesterday in opposition of it. One person spoke in favor of SB 445 in yesterday's hearing. While the intent to streamline the licensing and censure process is admirable, there has not been sufficient time for affected professionals to review the language and correct inconsistencies such as those we pointed out to Secretary Kemp. Stay tuned.

Legislative Monitor February 3, 2012

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:25:57 GMT

Legislative Monitor
The legislative session is in full swing. The legislature completes day 14 of the 40 day session today. AIA Georgia is monitoring several key pieces of legislation on behalf of its members.

HB 558 would allow a local government to give a preference to local resident businesses within the county when considering bids for local public works projects. This type of legislation can be more detrimental than beneficial. If retaliatory measures arise from other jurisdictions, your ability to seek work in an increasingly competitive environment around the state is compromised. With 159 counties in Georgia, it can prevent businesses from pursuing contracts within other jurisdictions. After AIA Georgia and other members of the construction community expressed our concerns to the bill's sponsor and members of the committee, the bill was tabled.

SB 358 builds upon legislation AIA Georgia supported two years ago (SB 447), which addresses preference to instate businesses. However, rather than impose discriminatory measures, SB 358 allows Georgia's government to adopt reciprocal measures to protect Georgia businesses. SB 447 defined a resident business and allowed Georgia agencies to formally adopt a State Reciprocal Preference. In essence, if a nonresident architect comes from a state that grants in-state preference, they will be penalized in the same manner when they seek public work in Georgia. SB 358 has been introduced on behalf of the Georgia Department of Administrative Services to extend the reciprocal preference to include both states that provide local preference and local governments in other states that provide local preference.

Legislation to Restructure State Licensing Boards
AIA Georgia representatives met with Secretary of State Brian Kemp to discuss his suggestions to streamline the licensing process and restructure the workload and scope for the state licensing boards. Kemp's plan calls for the Governor to appoint a seven member consumer board that would be involved in hearing issues regarding licensure, sanctions and violations. Licenses would be issued and renewed by staff rather than ratified by the boards. Staff could issue fines for simple infractions rather than the license holder having to attend a board meeting in Macon to be heard. Legislative Counsel is currently finalizing the legislation and we can expect its introduction in the next couple of weeks. Concern has been expressed that this will open the door for changes to the laws governing each of the licensed professions, but Kemp has assured the boards that he will oppose any attempts to change the statute since the intention of the legislation is merely to streamline government. Stay tuned for more.

Solar Responsive Design Workshop

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:06:05 GMT

Green Infrastructure: Policies, Performance and Projects

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:53:25 GMT

Southwest Georgia Bi-monthly Meeting

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:04:14 GMT

Southwest Georgia Bi-monthly Meeting

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:07:57 GMT

Augusta Chapter Monthly Meeting

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:51:39 GMT

Southwest Georgia Bi-monthly Chapter Meeting

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:17:44 GMT

Cottage Community and Garden-Farm Workshop

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:44:14 GMT

Key Trends Shaping the Future of the Design and Construction Industry

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:30:54 GMT

Golden Isles Chapter Meeting - Feb

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:14:45 GMT

AIA National Convention

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:13:30 GMT

Building Georgia Legislative Day

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:11:33 GMT

South Atlantic Region Conference

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:09:29 GMT

Thanksgiving Day - Office Closed

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:04:23 GMT

Labor Day - Office Closed

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:01:52 GMT

Independence Day - Office Closed

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:00:05 GMT

Memorial Day - Office Closed

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:58:50 GMT

Martin Luther King Day - Office Closed

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:54:54 GMT

AIA National Board of Directors Meeting - Talking Points

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:52:50 GMT

Click here to access PDF.

Obama Signs Repeal of 3 Percent Withholding Mandate

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:49:56 GMT

WASHINGTON (AIA) – President Obama has signed a bill repealing the three percent withholding mandate. H.R. 674 is aimed at killing a looming federal requirement that would have forced federal, state, and many local agencies to withhold three percent of nearly all payments to contractors beginning in 2013.

The signing of the bill by Obama comes after a lengthy effort to repeal the mandate by the AIA in Washington and thousands of members and their colleagues across the country. The AIA applauds the leadership of Rep. Wally Herger , R-CA, and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-OR, who championed the legislation in Congress.

AIA President Clark Manus, FAIA, has called the repeal ‘’ a signal to the design and construction sector, which has been hit hard in this economy and which is working hard at getting back on its feet.’’

Since the profit margin for many businesses is often less than three percent, the withholding mandate would have created significant cash flow problems for day-to-day operations in addition to reducing capital that could be invested in job creation and business expansion.

‘’One of the best ways to unleash the job-creating potential of our sector is to remove needless regulations and fees, wherever possible,’’ said Manus.

Rep. Herger also called the withholding mandate an example of the kind of government policy that discourages job creation.

‘’When small business owners are evaluating whether their investments will allow them to make a living, it matters if a new tax is going to cut off their cash flow in just over a year,’’ Herger said in a statement. ‘’Repealing this tax is one important step. It sends the message to America’s job creators that jobs are our number one priority and that Congress is committed to undoing policies that stand in the way of restoring prosperity.’’

Since 2007, close to 6,000 AIA members have sent nearly 20,000 messages to Capitol Hill in support of repealing the three percent withholding law. This repeal is a testament to the power of architects’ collective voice and the importance of advocacy on issues that affect our industry.

November Newsletter

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:48:32 GMT

Top Headlines in our November Newsletter

Emails Regarding Activating Your AIA GA Profile

AIA Georgia Legislative Update for 2012

AIA Launches Stalled Projects Database

Architecture at Zero

Click Here to view the entire November newsletter.

Branching Out

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:59:30 GMT

Architects are offering supplemental services as a way to stay afloat in a tough economy.

At the AIA National Convention in May, a young architect attended a lecture on AIA’s new Supplemental Architectural Services program, which assists architects looking to diversify their practices. When Richard L. Hayes, AIA, the AIA’s director of knowledge resources, explained how parking plans and code compliance could be considered supplemental services, the architect said, “You mean I can charge for this?” Hayes affirmed, and she replied, “I just paid next year’s dues.”

In a down economy, supplementing traditional design with other services can be an exciting and lucrative option. AIA’s Supplemental Services program provides essays and slide presentations on aia.org that offer technical assistance to architects interested in consulting in a variety of fields. When full commissions aren’t available, Hayes says, offering supplemental services allows a firm to go after a key part of a project or provide a niche capability as a subcontractor to another firm. It can also be a way to allow younger professionals to manage special projects.

“In architecture school you’re trained to do the whole project,” Hayes says. “This program requires architects to step back and think about doing just pieces of it. Some architects might already have the skills to provide a new service, while others might want to get additional training.”

So far, AIA has identified 135 supplemental services that its members could pursue. Of these, 48 have been listed on the AIA website with detailed essays taken from The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice (available as downloadable PDFs), along with concise PowerPoint presentations and citations for the appropriate AIA contract documents for each service. The list includes such diverse services as architectural acoustics, construction defect analysis, historic preservation, model construction, research services, sustainability consulting, and writing.

Hall Architects of Charlotte, N.C., for one, offers services including analyzing building pathology, providing expert witness testimony in building disputes, and developing construction specifications. In a recent construction dispute, firm members analyzed the design and construction of the building using exterior wall mock-ups to demonstrate possible water intrusion. Offering these services has been so successful, according to principal Dennis J. Hall, FAIA, FSCI, that the firm has created a separate legal entity for this work, called HALL | Building Information Group (using the same architectural staff).

“As the architectural work has slowed down with the current economic climate, the consulting work has picked up, enabling us to maintain a high-quality staff,” Hall says.

Diversifying is not without its potential downsides, however. Hayes says that clients might already expect some of these supplemental services to be rolled into the basic design service and may not understand the potential benefits of using a specialist. Yet, he says, architects have the opportunity to expand revenue possibilities by offering a supplemental service that is more detailed, exacting, and expansive than what might be included in the basic design.

Hall adds that being a consultant instead of the design architect requires a mental shift on all sides. “As a second-tier consultant,” Hall says, “you are not on top of the food chain in getting paid and may not have direct contact with the paying entity. And there may be the perception by some firms that you are ‘competition’ and not part of a team working for the success of the project.” Still, he adds, being an outside “expert” can sometimes garner more respect on certain topics than one might receive as the architect of record.

Nicholas R. Koch, associate vice president of HGA Architects and Engineers in Minneapolis, says that his firm prioritizes the pursuit of more supplemental services. “We really appreciated the in-depth thinking that the AIA has done on this topic, the way that supplemental services are linked to AIA contract documents, and the well-structured comments on services and the skill sets required,” Koch says.

Hayes and his colleagues are now working on adding new essays for other supplemental services as well as identifying new services that could be included. “Whether someone is already established or thinking of hanging out their shingle for the first time, they could come to an existing building owner and say, ‘Here’s something I can do for you,’” Hayes says. “This is a good way to keep people working.”

To learn more about the AIA’s efforts on supplemental architectural services, visit aia.org/practicing/akr/AIAB089194.

Design Ethic

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:53:50 GMT

A Washington, D.C., architect who occasionally teaches at the University of Maryland posed this question to his class:

“An energy company has approached the director of Washington’s National Gallery of Art. In front of the historic Classical Revival building designed by John Russell Pope is one of those pie-shaped pieces of land that occur throughout the city where L’Enfant’s diagonals (in this case Pennsylvania Avenue) intersect with the grid (Constitution Avenue). Currently, the site is tree-shaded; at the center is a large fountain. The company has offered to lease the land for a princely annual rent if in return it gets the right to build a gas station.

Recognizing the sensitivity of the site, the company has in effect offered a blank check that, if cashed, will ensure the gallery’s financial health indefinitely. All that the gallery has to do in return is give the company the right to build a gas station on the site of that small parklike space.

The challenge is this: You, the architect, are responding to an RFP for a design appropriate to the site. What would you design?”

The issues raised by the challenge clearly go beyond the art and science of our profession. They engage matters that deal with our responsibility to our clients, our communities, and the environment. How do we decide what ought to be done? What is “best” or “right” in any given situation?

In discussions that revolve around what architects do, we frequently find ourselves pigeonholed as artists—masters of set designs whose primary motivation is the creation of beauty, or at least of something new and interesting to look at. But questions about what we do ought to go deeper into the why of it: What is the purpose of the project? How well does it carry out that purpose for the client and the user? Dig a little deeper and an even larger question comes to light: Was it worth doing in the first place?

During times like we’re experiencing, when the construction industry is hit especially hard, ethics may seem to be something of a luxury. After all, we have an obligation not only to our client, but also to our firms. When the economy tanks, no project is too small if it keeps the lights on. We all know the importance of providing jobs and a path for career aspirations.

But what if the client has a deaf ear to sustainable design or wants to tear down an irreplaceable piece of a community’s historic legacy? What if the project chews up open space, compromises a viewshed, or introduces light pollution into a previously starry night? Doable? Yes. But is it right? And what is right when your decision will affect subcontractors and allied professionals, who are just as eager for work?

These are questions that go beyond talent and technical expertise. What can be done is one thing; what ought to be done may be something quite different. The issues raised involve ethics, a discipline that unlike architecture is not collaborative but very much a personal matter that nevertheless has an impact on the entire profession and how we’re viewed by our clients and the public.

Years ago Philip Johnson made a comment during a symposium at the University of Virginia that has always rankled me: “I am a whore, and I am paid very well for building high-rise buildings.” Of course, that was Philip being a provocateur. On the other hand, if words mean something, we ought to be outraged rather than, as Johnson may have intended, amused.

These are challenging times for the profession, when our values are most severely tested. Our schools do a great job of preparing students for the science and art of our profession. It may be a cliché, but I truly believe that the rising generation of young men and women pursuing a career—not just a job—in architecture are equipped with a more robust toolkit than ever. Yet I wonder how well they are being prepared for the ethical challenges that they will certainly confront. I say this because I believe that ethics is not a way of thinking different from architecture, but at the heart—no, the soul—of what it means to be a professional.

To be a professional means rising above the calculus of ego and fashion to focus on issues of right and wrong.

Clark D. Manus, FAIA, 2011 President
Read next month’s AIA Perspective to find out what answer received an A+.