Texas Society of Architects

Texas Society of Architects Retires Blog in Favor of Redesigned Website

2012-01-17T13:09:00.005-06:00

In October 2011, the Texas Society of Architects refreshed its brand and launched a redesigned website, texasarchitects.org. We invite you to visit our website for articles and information related to Texas architecture and the profession. The Texas Society of Architects' blog still exists as an archive for you to peruse regarding architecture in Texas. However, we no longer update this blog. Thank you for your visit and interest in Texas architecture.

Sincerely,

Texas Society of Architects
The Voice for Texas Architecture

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, February 1957

2011-12-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

Texas Architect magazine debuted the "Jeff Johnson, Architect" comic in April 1956. The comic, which was based on an architect, was created by David C. Baer, II, commercial artist and son of TA's former editor, David C. Baer. Patrick J. Nicholoson, consultant to TSA, collaborated on the series. Architectural Forum ran the cartoon in its publication in the fall of 1956.

The comic will appear once a month on the TSA blog until the end of the series. Enjoy!

February 1957

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, January 1957

2011-11-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

January 1957

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, December 1956

2011-10-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

December 1956

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, November 1956

2011-09-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

November 1956

AIA Fort Worth: 2011 Design Awards

2011-09-08T12:16:00.001-05:00

AIAFW Excellence In Architecture:
Design Awards 2011

DEADLINE DATES TO KNOW:

September 15: Entry form and fee due
September 29: Submissions Due
October 18: Jury deliberations and Announcement of Winners at The Modern Art Museum, in conjunction with "Tuesday Night at the Modern Lecture Series".

Jurors:
Julie VandenBerg Snow, FAIA / & Keynote for the Lecture
Chris Carson, FAIA
Mark Wellen, AIA

ENTRY FORM AND COMPLETE CALL AND INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.AIAFORTWORTH.ORG

Access Board to Hold Public Meetings in Dallas on Sept. 12

2011-09-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

The Access Board will hold public hearings and discussions on various topics in Dallas on September 12. The agenda for the day includes a public hearing on the Board’s proposed guidelines for public rights-of-way, panel discussions on ADA certification of state codes and access to self-service transaction machines, and an open forum where members of the public can raise accessibility issues of interest or concern.

September 12, 2011
Sheraton Dallas, Houston Ballrooms A and B
400 North Olive Street Map
Dallas, TX 75201

Agenda
9:00 – 9:30 Welcome by former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Board Members
9:30 – 11:30 Public Hearing on Proposed Guidelines for Public Rights-of-Way
2:30 – 4:00 Panel Discussions (ADA State Code Certification, Self-Service Machines)
4:00 – 5:00 Open Comment Session

All events are open to the public. Registration is not required, but those who wish to provide comments at the hearing on the proposed rights-of-way guidelines are encouraged to contact Kathy Johnson at johnson@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0041 (voice), or (202) 272-0065 (TTY).

Regulatory News and Updates

2011-09-06T13:34:00.002-05:00

David Lancaster, Hon. AIA
Texas Architects
Senior Manager of Advocacy

August 29, 2011

TDLR—New TAS Hopes to Track 2010 ADA Accessibility Guidelines
Based on the recommendation of its Architectural Barriers Advisory Committee (ABAC), the Texas Licensing & Regulation Commission authorized publishing the agency’s proposed new Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) in the Texas Register for public comment. The deadline for public comment is October 2, 2011.

The ABAC and TDLR staff both committed publicly to keeping the language for any update of the state’s accessibility standard as close to the exact wording of the 2010 ADAAG as possible, a goal that the Society is also on record of supporting. Click here to go to the TDLR website where a PDF of the official posting is available for download.

Texas Facilities Commission—Public-Private Partnership (P3) Standards
At its August 17 meeting, the Facilities Commission (TFC) approved the staff’s recommended language setting out rules and standards for proposing joint private-public projects, as required in SB 1048, which became effective September 1.

TFC is charged with establishing the general state guidelines. Other public entities that wish to take advantage of a P3 development opportunity must either use TFC’s specific language, or adopt its own guidelines following a similar process to this. Click here for a link to the TFC web site.

Comptroller of Public Accounts—IECC News and Opportunities
Check out the State Energy Conservation Office’s (SECO) new IECC web-site. There are various Texas-specific reference documents, notices, announcements, code history, key dates, training registration and an online workshop which covers changes in the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code – the code SECO adopted by reference for commercial construction. For more information, contact SECO through links from the web-site above or call 512/463-8352.

TBAE—“Engineer Window” Opens September 1; Closes January 1, 2012
Another 82nd Session bill that became effective September 1 is HB 2284, which specifies things that are both unique and common to the practice of architecture and engineering. While the bill adds language to the Engineers Practice Act that clearly says architecture is not a subset of engineering, and that an architect must prepare the architectural plans and specifications for structures intended for human use or occupancy,” it provides a process for certain engineers to be grandfathered to continue providing those service instruments if they can demonstrate they’ve done so on at least three (3) qualified projects prior to 2011.

Following a four-month application period that runs from September 1 through the end of 2011, the agency has four months to determine each applicant’s eligibility to be included on a TBAE list, which will be publicly posted on its website or available upon request, of engineers who are exempt from the Architects Practice Act, and subject to regulation only by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE).

For more information, contact David Lancaster (txranger@texasarchitect.org or 512/615-7735) or Glenn Garry (glenn.garry@tbae.state.tx.us or 512/305-8536).

Congressman Brady Meets with Architect Constituents

2011-09-06T11:29:00.004-05:00

(from right) AIA Houston President Ian Powell and Coulson Tough, FAIA, share one of the Texas Capitol dome cutaway prints from Advocates for Architecture Day with US Rep. Kevin Brady from Texas’ 8th Congressional District.

August 23, 2011

The Woodlands
Texas Society of Architects

Congressman Kevin Brady, of the 8th District, an 11-county area just north and east of Houston, met for an August-recess lunch with architect constituents to discuss HR 940, the Covered Bonds Act, and HR 1356, the Credit Access for Main Street Act. Both bills are aimed at spurring credit availability for business loans to help create jobs and stimulate the economy. (To find out more about the bills, go to http://www.house.gov/ and search by bill number under “Legislative Activity/Bills & Reports.” There you can also find links to contact your Congressional representative to let them know that easing credit is not only good for Texas architects, it’s good for your clients…in Texas and nationally.)

First elected to Congress in 1996, Brady currently serves on the key Ways & Means committee and so he’s in a position to be a significant player in shaping, stopping or advancing both bills. When pressed on his position for the measures, Rep. Brady reacted positively, but said he needed to do additional research before staking out his formal position. We’ll let you know what that is as soon as we hear.

While federal legislation is not the primary focus of either the Society or local Texas AIA chapters, the Society’s David Lancaster, Hon. AIA, and Rusty Bienvenue, AIA Houston executive director, were more than happy to help Adam Melis, the AIA’s Director of Advocacy Outreach, with meeting logistics to ensure a lively crowd demonstrating to Cong. Brady broad local-professional support for the bills. Among those attending were 15 members, including several AIA Houston board members.

Whether it’s local, state or national in nature, this is all ADVOCACY…and it’s all POWERFUL (or GOOD). Thank you AIA and AIA Houston!

IDP Firm Award and IDP Outstanding Firm Award Applications Now Available

2011-09-01T14:22:00.002-05:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is now accepting applications for the 2011-2014 IDP Firm Award and the 2011-2014 IDP Outstanding Firm Award on behalf of the IDP Advisory Committee (IDPAC)—a committee co-chaired by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and the AIA.

Granted annually to firms that engage with and enhance the internship process, these two awards bestow a three-year recognition to organizations that embrace and support the Intern Development Program (IDP) and the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®).

Applications are available now on the IDP Firm Award Program page and will be accepted until 12 October 2011. The IDPAC will review applications beginning in October and announce the recipients in late November. Detailed explanations for both awards are available in the IDP Firm Awards Program Guidelines.

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, October 1956

2011-08-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

October 1956

Join Us at the 2011 Convention

2011-08-25T14:26:00.004-05:00

Dan Hart, AIA, President of Texas Society of Architects invites you to Dallas for the Texas Society of Architects' 72nd Annual Convention and Design Products and Ideas Expo.

Be sure to register online for the convention before September 28. It won't be the same without you!

72nd Annual Convention and
Design Products and Ideas Expo
27-29 October 2011
Dallas Convention Center

Exploring Dallas during the 2011 Convention

2011-08-23T17:04:00.011-05:00

Michael Woods, AIA, a principal at RTKL Associates in Dallas, wants to take you on a tour of his hometown.

Map out your visit of the host city.

View Texas Architects Tour of Dallas in a larger map

Take a walk downtown from the convention center:

Main Street Garden Park - Thomas Balsley Associates
Wilson Building- Sanguinett & Staats/Corgan Associates
Mercantile Building - Walter Ahlschlager/ BGO Architects
Third Rail Lofts - Good Fulton & Farrell Architects
Gables Republic Tower - Harrison & Abramovitz/ RTKL Associates
The Joule Hotel - Coburn & Smith/Architexas
Dallas Museum of Art - Edward Larrabee Barnes
Nasher Sculpture Center - Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Museum Tower - Johnson Fain Architects
Margot and Bill WInspear Opera House - Foster + Partners
Wyly Theater - Rex/OMA

Venture off the beaten path:

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge - Santiago Calatrava
Cistercian Chapel - Cunningham Architects
Whiterock Lake
7035 Lakewood Blvd - CD Hutsell
Dallas Arboretum - Lake/Flato Architects

Purchase the AIA Guide to Dallas Architecture online at aiadallas.org

Be sure to register online for the convention before September 28. It won't be the same without you!

72nd Annual Convention and
Design Products and Ideas Expo
27-29 October 2011
Dallas Convention Center

Authors Read from Literary Houston

2011-08-22T17:24:00.006-05:00

As part of the “Authors in Architecture” lecture series, two writers involved with Literary Houston, published in 2010 by TCU Press, will read from the book on Sept. 21 at the Clayton Library, 5300 Caroline St. The event is co-sponsored by the Architecture Center Houston and the Houston Public Library. Admission is free.

The presenters will be the book’s editor David Theis and local arts writer Lisa Gray, who is among the 60-plus authors represented in Literary Houston. Theis will discuss how architecture, planning, and historic preservation are addressed in the book. The collection includes a well-known Ada Louise Huxtable piece from The New York Times, a Joel Garreau excerpt from Edge City, and an article on the Astrodome by Douglas Pegues Harvey originally published in Texas Architect.

A reception and book signing will follow the presentation. Find more information about the event at http://www.aiahouston.org/. Architecture Center Houston (ArCH) is a collaboration of AIA Houston and the Architecture Center Houston Foundation.

At 5:30 p.m., attendees will be offered a brief tour of the recently renovated library given by Ernesto Maldonado, AIA, of Glassman Shoemake Maldonado Architects. Maldonado will talk about his firm’s recent award-winning renovation and addition to the historically significant building.

Literary Houston is an anthology of writing about Houston and Houstonians. The content is categorized in sections titled “Memoir and Biography,” “Visitors,” “The City Itself,” “Events,” “Poetry,” and “Fiction.” A good deal of Houston history is included, dating back to the days of Cabeza de Vaca and continuing through the Battle of San Jacinto and up to Enron and Hurricane Katrina. Works by local writers are included, along with articles by writers with national and international reputations, including Larry McMurtry, Norman Mailer, Ada Louise Huxtable, and Simone de Beauvoir.

David Theis moved to Houston in 1984 to study in the creative writing program at the University of Houston. Upon graduation, he became a journalist writing for Houston City Magazine, The Houstonian, Texas Observer, Texas Monthly, Cite, and numerous other publications. From 1989 to 1994, Theis was a staff writer for the Houston Press where he wrote news, features, and film reviews. In 2002, his novel Rio Ganges was published by Winedale Press. He is currently at work on a second novel.

Lisa Gray is a member of the Houston Chronicle editorial board and a weekly columnist covering things that contribute to Houston's peculiar sense of place—the city's environment, urban design, architecture, history, and whatever else seems interesting that week. She is a former managing editor of Cite, the Rice Design Alliance's quarterly magazine; a former managing editor and columnist at the Houston Press; and a former managing editor of Washington City Paper. Her work has appeared in Business Week, People, Good Housekeeping, O at Home, and Slate.

The Clayton Library was built in 1917 as a family home. It became a part of the Houston Public Library System in 1966 when a special collection for genealogical research was relocated there and the building was opened to the public. Glassman Shoemake Maldonado’s recent project included renovating and remodeling the guest and carriage houses on the property. This included an addition to the carriage house allowing for national conferences on genealogical research to be hosted onsite.

2011 Texas Architects Honor Awards

2011-08-17T13:18:00.008-05:00

Melissa C. Brandrup, AIA, El Paso, Building Solutions

2011 Award for Young Professional Achievement in Honor of William W. Caudill FAIA

Celebrate passionate leadership, inspiring achievement, and design excellence as the Society recognizes those who have made exceptional contributions to the built environment during the 72nd Annual Convention in Dallas, Oct. 27-29. The presentation of the 2011 Honor Awards demonstrates the efforts of members, individuals, and organizations that have improved the profession and their communities. Recipients of the 2011 Design Awards receive their awards and brief jury comments are provided. Learn about the significant contributions being made and be enlivened by all that is being accomplished. Sat., Oct. 28, 11:45 am - 1:15 pm. Click here for more information about the Texas Society of Architects Convention.

Awards luncheon sponsored by Haddon & Cowan Architects Collaborative

Open publication - Free publishing - More aia

Texas Architects Board Member Serves on 2016 Olympic Park Jury

2011-08-16T14:24:00.013-05:00

Gabriel Durand-Hollis, FAIA, principal of Durand-Hollis Rupe Architects in San Antonio, recently served as the sole U.S. juror among a panel of seven for the Rio 2016 Olympic Park Competition. The jury met in August for the prestigious international design competition. Durand-Hollis serves on the Texas Society of Architects Board as an AIA Regional Director.

British firm AECOM, a London-based building design and management company was announced as the winner of the competition on August 19.

Texas Architects at the NCSL

2011-08-16T13:31:00.005-05:00

Speaker Joe Straus at the AIA booth

Posing with Rep. Jim Murphy of Houston

David discussing issues with Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock of Killeen

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the 50 states, commonwealths and territories, held its annual convention in San Antonio, August 8-11. In attendance, in addition to a large group of Texas legislators, was David Lancaster, Sr. Manager of Advocacy.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) was there with a booth to ensure the voice of architects across America was heard loud and clear…and no one is better than David in doing that—at least the loud part! To provide more local expertise and connections at these national events, AIA invites local and state component staff to participate, so representatives from Florida, Michigan, New York, and California joined David and AIA staff at the booth.

David welcomed a number of key officials to the booth, including Representatives Jimmie Don Aycock of Killeen, Jim Murphy of Houston, and San Antonio’s native son, Speaker Joe Straus.

We’re told the big hit of the booth were the insulated drink coozies made out of recycled wet suits (GO GREEN!). Certainly, wet suits haven’t been needed in THIS state for quite some time!

Advocacy Update

2011-08-16T09:51:00.002-05:00

David Lancaster, Hon. AIA

Senior Manager of Advocacy

Texas Society of Architects

On August 3, the 3rd Court of Appeals (Austin) affirmed the Legislature’s wisdom in clarifying the architectural and engineering practice acts in passing HB 2284. The Appeals Court “noted and affirmed” the district court’s ruling that “remanded the case to the Architecture Board for further proceedings and receipt of expert testimony, holding that the record is insufficient to determine whether the plans and specifications at issue constituted the practice of architecture, engineering, or both.”

In affirming the district court’s decision – something that both sides had claimed as a win – it is clear that disputes over responsibility and overlap could have continued to consume resources without any definitive resolution or closure to the broad dispute. HB 2284 clearly distinguishes between the practice of architecture and the practice of engineering, and plainly identifies areas of overlap between the two professions. It offers clarity where, in the past, ambiguity led to disputes between the two professions regarding responsibility and overlap.

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, September 1956

2011-07-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

September 1956

13 Recipients Selected for Texas Architects Honor Awards

2011-07-29T17:45:00.002-05:00

The Texas Society of Architects (Texas Architects) announces its 2011 Honor Award recipients. The awards recognize significant contributions to the architectural profession and the quality of the built environment and will be presented during the 72nd Annual Convention, Oct. 27-29, in Dallas.   

Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Honor of Llewellyn W. Pitts FAIA 
Tommy Neal Cowan, FAIA – Austin

Architecture Firm Award 
Richter Architects – Corpus Christi  

Award for Young Professional Achievement in Honor of William W. Caudill FAIA 
Melissa C. Brandrup, AIA – El Paso – Building Solutions  

Award for Community Service in Honor of James D. Pfluger FAIA 
J. Sinclair Black, FAIA – Austin – Black + Vernooy Architects

Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions in Honor of Edward J. Romieniec FAIA 
Diane Berry Hays, FAIA – University of Texas at San Antonio College of Architecture  

Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media in Honor of John G. Flowers Honorary AIA 
Richard Payne, FAIA – Architectural Photographer – Houston

Associate Member of the Year
Yesenia M. Blandon, Assoc. AIA – Dallas – Perkins + Will

Citation of Honor 
Brownsville Historical Association
Sundance Square Management, Fort Worth

Artisan Award 
Kathleen Ash –Studio K Glassworks, Manchaca – Austin
Brad Oldham, sculptor – Brad Oldham International – Dallas

Honorary Membership
Rosemary Castillo, CEO. Bienvivir Senior Health Services – El Paso
Jim Walker, AICP, Director of Sustainability, University of Texas – Austin

Cast Your Vote for Old Nueces County Courthouse

2011-07-28T10:27:00.005-05:00

Image: DOC MCGREGOR/CC MUSEUM (Caller.com)

Click here to read the full article excerpted below and to cast your vote for what to do with the Old Nueces County Courthouse (tear down, restore, leave to deteriorate until collapse).

Old Nueces County Courthouse Structurally Unsafe, Report Says

by Mary Ann Cavazos
Corpus Christi Caller Times

July 27, 2011

CORPUS CHRISTI — A study of the old Nueces County Courthouse found that the structure is unsound and has severely deteriorated from more than three decades of exposure to the elements.

The findings were revealed to county commissioners Wednesday by officials from LNV Engineering, a company hired to conduct the two-phase analysis.

The 1914 courthouse has sat idle since 1977 and is protected from demolition until 2027 because of a stipulation attached to state grant funds.

It would cost an estimated $34.7 million to renovate only the 1914 building. To renovate the entire 86,400 square-foot structure including the 1930 addition, it would cost about $41.1 million.

By comparison, the nearby federal courthouse, which has nearly twice the square footage, was built in 2001 for $27.3 million.

“This county doesn’t have $40 million to spend on this project nor does the city,” Commissioner Mike Pusley said. “I think the point and time when we could have saved this building has passed.”

Buildings designated historical such as the courthouse are exempt from being brought up to current standards but there is an exception if they become safety hazards.

Pusley, who twice toured the site, plans to use the study’s findings to petition the Texas Historical Commission to lift the deed restriction. That would allow commissioners to decide whether to tear it down, which could cost $2 million to $3 million.

Pusley said that while he understands the building’s historical significance, it doesn’t change the circumstances: The building’s condition is unsafe and the lack of any foreseeable funding to renovate it has sealed its fate.

Click here for the full article.

Dallas Arts District Tour in October

2011-07-05T20:47:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Center for Architecture, Nasher Sculpture Center, Winspear Opera House, and Wyly Theater are among projects to be highlighted on the Dallas Arts District Tour (Tour A, Thurs., Oct. 27, 9:30 am to noon) during the Texas Society of Architects Annual Convention and Design Products and Ideas Expo, Oct. 27-29, 2011.

Several of the projects on the Dallas Arts District tour were featured in the March/April 2011 issue of Texas Architect magazine. Read about these projects in the issue posted below.

Winspear Opera House

Wyly Theater

The Arts District is one of twelve tours that will showcase innovative designs by regional and nationally renowned architects. Stay tuned to the Society's blog and other communication outlets for more information on tours, Continuing Education sessions, and events.

Convention registration opens mid summer.

Below is a complete list of the 2011 Texas Society of Architects' convention tours:

Tour A: Walking the Dallas Arts District

Tour B: Classic Modern Dallas - The Rose Residence

Tour C: Oak Cliff Community Renewal

Tour D: Victory Park - Urban Redevelopment

Tour E: Backstage Pass - Winspear and Wyly Performance Venues

Tour F: On Campus at SMU - Past, Present, and Future

Tour G: Trinity River Audubon Center

Tour H: Designed for Learning - Three Special Schools

Tour I: Mind, Body, and Soul (a library, research lab, and chapel)

Tour J: Urban Reserve - A Modern Neighborhood

Tour K: Cowboys Stadium

Tour L: Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Texas Architect in Fayetteville, Ark.

2011-07-01T17:53:00.013-05:00

By Stephen Sharpe, Hon. TSA

I had the honor of representing the Texas Society of Architects in late June when I traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., to facilitate the jury for the 2011 Studio Awards. The primary outcome of my two-day visit was the selection of four unbuilt projects for Studio Awards, which was especially notable because the winning entries were either the work of student teams or practicing architects who also teach. The common thread running through all four of the awarded projects was a well-thought-out visual explanation of research that prefaced the design solution. The jury’s selections were announced June 30. The four projects can be seen at:
http://texasarchitect.org/news_detail.php?news_id=279&sess_id=1a2b03b20ce3b8996895a8e2c6378704

A secondary outcome of the trip was my learning more about the architecture of northwestern corner of Arkansas, particularly the work that has emanated over the last 50 years from the creative minds of educator-architects connected to University of Arkansas. I wish to thank Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, for introducing me to many fine buildings that comprise a menagerie of modernist structures well worth driving out of one’s way to see in person. My thanks also go to Chris M. Baribeau, AIA, and Santiago R. Pérez, who both participated in the Studio Awards jury and showed me interesting projects in and around Fayetteville.

Thorncrown Chapel (see photo above) is the best known building in the area, so that was a good beginning point for me after landing at the regional airport just outside Bentonville (home of the late Sam Walton and his Walmart empire). Thorncrown, designed by Fay Jones for client Jim Reed, is situated in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains near Eureka Springs. Jones’ intricate timber construction allows for two-story-tall walls of glass along both sides of the sanctuary, so visitors feel directly connected to the surrounded forest. When I stopped by on a Tuesday afternoon, Reed’s widow was seated just inside the sanctuary where she handed out brochures and invited visitors to take a seat in a pew to enjoy the serenity of the chapel in the woods. (“We’re not a walk-around church,” she gently advised.) Soon it was just me and her left inside, so I introduced myself and heard the story of how she and her husband, both schoolteachers, worked through the financial and logistical travails of realizing her husband’s vision.

Back in Fayetteville, Marlon Blackwell invited me to his family’s home near the university. In addition to running his own small practice, Blackwell is the head of the architecture department at the Fay Jones School of Architecture. As a practitioner, he consistently produces excellent architecture that has been widely published and recognized with regional and national awards. Among those award-winning projects is his own home, known as the L-Stack House (see photo below), that he designed for a problematic lot with a creek running diagonally through the site.

The office of Marlon Blackwell Architect is within a former public library near downtown Fayetteville. The Fullbright Building (see photo below) was originally designed by Warren Seagraves (1925-1978), who also taught at the U. of Arkansas, and completed in 1962. Blackwell respectfully renovated it for commercial offices, replacing the second level’s exterior brick walls (which Seagraves capped with ribbon clerestory) with floor-to-ceiling glass and exposing the building’s perimeter steel frame.

Blackwell’s office was where the jury met on Wednesday, June 29, to select the winning submittals in the 2011 Studio Award program. Blackwell invited two associates – the aforementioned Baribeau and Pérez – to round out the jury. Prior to that morning’s meeting, the trio had reviewed the 50 entries and culled their choices into individual short lists. While they were not in complete agreement at the onset, the jurors went through the complete list of entrants before narrowing the field to 14 deemed worthy of a second look. They then spent about 90 minutes reviewing the PowerPoint presentations for those 14 projects and discussing their relative merits. Their commentary was erudite and pointed, with little time wasted on slide shows that didn’t answer their questions through images or text. By noon they were in unanimous agreement on four projects—Bat House Visitor Center by Matt Fajkus, AIA, Bo Yoon, and Jesse Rodriquez; Living Module Deployable Housing by Andrew Ball and Noah Marciniak; OutHouse by Andrew Daley, Jason Fleming, and Peter Muessig; and SEEPZ Mumbia by William Truitt.

With the jury’s work done, we drove to the Blessings Golf Clubhouse (see photo below) that Blackwell had designed. A stand-alone structure set at the base of the hill, with its footprint minimally contacting the land, the Blessings Golf Clubhouse acts as a type of covered bridge. This bridging creates an entry portal that operates as a breezeway framing the eighteenth green, acts as a threshold to the golf course beyond, and is an event space for golf tournaments.

Touring around Fayetteville that afternoon, we saw several other notable projects by Blackwell. One of the most intriguing was St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church (see photos below) in neighboring Springdale. The project, completed last year, shows how a thoughtful architect can provide a client with an exquisite design on a very small budget. Blackwell repurposed a three-bay garage as a small church. The “before” and “after” images don’t tell the whole story, which also entailed trading two cases of beer for a satellite dish that was embedded in the ceiling to fulfill the Eastern Orthodox Church’s liturgical requirement for a dome within the sanctuary.

The Courthouses of Central Texas

2011-07-01T13:32:00.012-05:00

Thursday, October 27th

7:45 PM–8:45 PM
The Courthouses of Central Texas
Brantley Hightower, AIA, Lake|Flato Architects, San Antonio

The 254 county courthouses of Texas represent a rich and enduring architectural legacy. While the 50 courthouses of the central Texas region exhibit an endearing collection of historical styles, they remain relevant for the contemporary architect. They provide lessons about meaning and modernity as well as sustainability and community. Come along for a unique look at these structures as architectural artifact.

Sponsored by Talex Engineers
111019 LUHs 1

72nd Annual Convention and

Design Products & Ideas Expo
27-29 October 2011
Dallas Convention Center

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, August 1956

2011-06-30T10:00:00.002-05:00

August 1956

Narrow Escapes in West Texas Wildfires

2011-06-27T16:17:00.008-05:00

Extremely dry conditions around Texas and the Southwest have fueled numerous wildfires since April, and the weather forecast doesn’t offer much relief to reduce fears of further conflagrations through the summer. While the efforts of firefighters have so far protected populated areas, flames have destroyed a number of homes and other buildings in rural locales.

One of this year’s worst wildfires occurred in April in the Davis Mountains near the McDonald Observatory. Dramatic photos posted on various astronomy websites (www.skyandtelescope.com) showed glowing flames in the vicinity of the telescopes, but that fire was a control burn taken as a precaution to alleviate the threat of a larger disaster. Another blog post (www.space.com) reported that the fire caused a temporary power outage at the observatory complex. And while another wildfire at the same time damaged buildings in the nearby town of Fort Davis, there were no reports of harm to the nineteenth-century military structures at the Fort Davis National Historic Site.

(The top photo, taken on April 17, shows the control burn on Black Mountain behind the Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome. The other photo, taken on April 9, shows the Smith Telescope with the control burn on the horizon. Both photos taken by Frank Cianciolo courtesy of the McDonald Observatory.)

In late June, the Texas Forest Service (txforestservice.tamu.edu) reported that elevated fire weather conditions continued to be in effect northwest of a line from Fort Worth to Del Rio including the southern half of the Texas Panhandle. The report also mentioned that state firefighters had recently responded to two new fires, one in Wichita County and another in Hardeman County. In addition, the report stated that three wildfires – the Miles Fire in Wheeler County (500 acres), the Boyken Fire in Howard County (5,067 acres), and the Mitchell Ranch 2 Fire in Crockett County (3,212 acres) – had been contained.

As of June 27, burn bans were in effect in 230 of the state’s 254 counties, which dampened hopes for fireworks in celebration of the July Fourth holiday.

2011 Session Summary (Updated!)

2011-06-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

In previous ADVOCACY blogs, we reported that all our priority bills had passed so, barring a veto from Governor Perry, they would become law. We’re delighted to say that, for the first time in four sessions, the Governor didn’t veto a single bill we identified—and supported—as architectural practice priority. Since we previously described those priority bills in some detail, this report will focus more on when those changes become effective, etc., as well as providing a link to more detailed information, including a link to the Enrolled version of each bill. (Click on bill numbers in the sub-titles.) In reverse numerical order, they are:

HB 2284 (see May 25, 27 and June 6 blogs)

Summary—A/E “Peace Accord” bill that settles 20+-year scope-of-practice disputes between the professions. In trade for creating a process by which certain licensed engineers can be “grandfathered” (between September 1, 2011 and January 1, 2012) to continue practicing architecture without an architecture license, language was added to the Engineering Practice Act stating that an architect must prepare the architectural plans and specifications for any building intended for human use or occupancy, as well as “the practice of engineering does not include the practice of architecture.”

Effective Date—September 1, 2011

Exemptions or Exclusions—See those previously reported on the TSA Blog regarding an engineer’s eligibility to apply for “grandfathering.”

HB 2093 (see May 25 and 27 blogs)

Summary—Makes broad-form indemnification clauses “void and unenforceable.” In other words, as a matter of public policy, after the effective date most contracts will require each party to be responsible for its own acts, and will not allow one party to dictate to another that a “second party” must indemnify and defend the “first party” against the first party’s acts of negligence. The “void and unenforceable” limitation also extends to any requirement to purchase additional insurance for such indemnification contingencies.

Effective Date—January 1, 2012

Exemptions or Exclusions—Specific classes of exempted construction contracts include residential (single family house, townhouse or duplex, including any related land development) and municipal projects. In addition, language for common or current exemptions such as bodily injury or death of an employee, breach of contract, general indemnity agreements required by sureties or in loan or financing documents, general “benefits and protections” language under state workers comp or governmental immunity laws, etc., are included.

HB 1728 (see May 25 and June 7 blogs)

Summary—Establishes parameters for energy-performance or energy-conservation contracts, including available sources of funds to pay for them. Of particular interest to architects is the language limiting K-12 public education entities from disallowing “proper allocation” of available tax credits added to Section 44.902 of the Education Code (See page 3). Similar language for other public entities is found in HB 51.

Effective Date—September 1, 2011

Exemptions or Exclusions—None

HB 628 (see May 25 and May 27 blogs)

Summary—Consolidates the language dealing with Alternative Project Delivery methods now found in three different codes (Education, Government and Local Government) into a single chapter of the Government Code. It also provides a bit of needed tort reform by requiring that money received by a school district as the result of a construction-defect lawsuit—regardless whether a settlement or verdict—be spent to fix the problem for which the lawsuit was filed.

Effective Date— September 1, 2011

Exemptions or Exclusions—While the bill has almost universal impact on all public entities, there are notable exceptions like the Texas Department of Transportation and institutions of higher learning (although community and junior colleges are included).

HB 51 (see May 25 and June 7 blogs)

Summary—Requires state buildings to be designed and constructed or renovated to achieve certification under a nationally recognized program such as LEED or Green Globes, or a comparable program developed by a municipally owned energy producer. Also includes language that says a design professional’s services to achieve such third-party certification are not to be considered “basic services,” and that public entities may not disallow proper allocation of potential tax credits. (See page 5, lines 15-24 of the bill.)

Effective Date—September 1, 2011

Exemptions or Exclusions—Higher education buildings may be exempted in cases where the governing board has already adopted another, reasonably equivalent, set of energy-conservation standards, or requests and is granted an “undue hardship” waiver from SECO, which includes providing documentation demonstrating need for the waiver. Also, buildings for which a Higher Ed entity advertises seeking RFQs, RFPs, bids, etc., before September 1, 2013 are exempt. Only their buildings or projects initiated after that date are covered. For state buildings, the effective date is September 1, 2011.

Texas Architect Contributor: Mario L. Sanchez, PhD

2011-06-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

Mario L. Sanchez, PhD became interested in architecture during visits to modernist construction sites in his native Havana with his architect-uncle Antonio Fojo. Since 1987, he has focused on historic preservation and its link to community development. Recently, he wrote the South Texas section for the Society of Architectural Historians’ Buildings of Texas (edited by Gerald Moorhead, FAIA), which will be released by the University of Virginia Press in 2012. See page 42 for his article on Ancient Oaks.

Texas Architect Contributors: Jim Atkins, FAIA & Grant Simpson, FAIA

2011-06-21T10:25:00.025-05:00

Grant A. Simpson, FAIA, is an accomplished Southern cook taught by his Cajun grandmother. This aging warrior can usually be found listening to Hawaiian music in his backyard tropical paradise; cultivating frangipani, enjoying his tiki torches, or constructing a bamboo trellis…(for which he carefully prepared a work plan); red beans and rice anyone? See his Practice article, co-authored by Jim Atkins, on page 79 of the Texas Architect July/August edition.

Jim Atkins, FAIA, likes to fish, whether it is fighting blue marlin in the Bahamas, working the snapper banks in the Gulf, or wading fishing the Laguna Madre. When he can't make it to the big water he settles for a more serene endeavor. His goldfish are the winners. See his Practice article, co-authored by FAIA member Grant A. Simpson, on page 79 of the Texas Architect July/August edition.

The Work, Part I: The Contractor’s Work Plan
Understanding contract documents for managing and directing the Work

This two-part series will take a look at the contractor’s sole responsibility for the Work and how to evaluate the contractor’s approach to its supervision, coordination, and direction. Part 1 examines the planning that is logically and often contractually required, including the primary organizational framework—the Contractor’s Work Plan. The second and final installment (scheduled for publication in the Sept/Oct 2011 edition) will examine the contractor’s obligations for delivering conforming work, common approaches by contractors to alter work scope and avoid conformance, and suggested actions to take to confirm the existence of a Work Plan if indications appear otherwise.

This series does not purport to invent new ways for developing a contractor’s plan for implementing the Work. Many of the tried and true elements of an effective and adequate Work Plan already exist and can be readily found in common construction contracts, general conditions, and guide specifications.

Below are consolidated references from AIA Document A201: General Conditions.

Who’s Responsible for the Work?
In its capacity as supervisor, coordinator, and director of the Work, the contractor must obviously develop and implement a reasonable and prudent plan for organizing, phasing, coordinating, scheduling, and implementing the Work.

This responsibility is clearly stated and repeatedly emphasized in the AIA’s General Conditions of the Contract for Construction.

• Section 1.1.3 identifies the Work as the contractor’s responsibility: “The term ‘Work’ means the construction and services required by the Contract Documents, whether completed or partially completed, and includes all other labor, materials, equipment and services provided or to be provided by the Contractor to fulfill the Contractor’s obligations.”

• Section 3.3.1 states that the contractor is in complete charge and control of the Work and is the only contracted entity that bears such responsibility: “The Contractor shall supervise and direct the Work, using the Contractor’s best skill and attention. The Contractor shall be solely responsible for, and have control over, construction means, methods, techniques, sequences and procedures and for coordinating all portions of the Work under the Contract, unless the Contract Documents give other specific instructions concerning these matters.”

• Section 3.1.3 states that the responsibility is absolute and cannot be assumed or circumvented by the actions of the architect, or deferred upon the architect: “The Contractor shall not be relieved of obligations to perform the Work in accordance with the Contract Documents either by activities or duties of the Architect in the Architect’s administration of the Contract, or by tests, inspections or approvals required or performed by persons or entities other than the Contractor.”

What Comprises a Work Plan?
The elements of a Work Plan can vary based on the contractor’s expertise and approach, but the minimum services and components required of the contractor can be found in the AIA General Conditions, which include:

• Section 1.2.2: “… dividing the Work among Subcontractors or … establishing the extent of Work to be performed by any trade.”

• Section 3.2.2: “…the Contractor shall, before starting each portion of the Work…take field measurement of any existing conditions…for the purpose of facilitating coordination and construction.”

• Section 3.3.3: “The Contractor shall be responsible for inspection of portions of the Work already performed to determine that such portions are in proper condition to receive subsequent Work.”

• Section 3.7.2: “The Contractor shall comply with and give notices required by applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations, and lawful orders of public authorities applicable to the performance of the Work.”

• Section 3.10.1: “The Contractor…shall prepare and submit…a Contractor’s construction schedule for the Work.”

• Section 3.10.2: “The Contractor shall prepare a submittal schedule…coordinated with the Contractor’s construction schedule…”

• Section 3.11: “The Contractor shall maintain at the site…one copy of the Drawings, Specifications, Addenda, Change Orders and other Modifications…to indicate field changes and selections made during construction, and one copy of approved Shop Drawings, Product Data, Samples and similar required submittals.”

• Section 3.12.1: “Shop Drawings are drawings, diagrams, schedules and other data specially prepared for the Work by the Contractor, or a Subcontractor, Sub-subcontractor, manufacturer, supplier or distributor to illustrate some portion of the Work.”

• Section 3.12.4: “Shop Drawings, Product Data, Samples and similar submittals…purpose is to demonstrate the way by which the Contractor proposes to conform to the…Contract Documents…”

• Section 3.12.6: “By submitting Shop Drawings, Product Data, Samples and similar submittals, the Contractor represents…that the Contractor has…reviewed and approved them,…checked and coordinated the information contained within such submittals…”

• Section 9.2: “[Preparing]…a schedule of values allocating the entire Contract Sum to the various portions of the Work…[to]…be used as a basis for reviewing the Contractor's Applications for Payment.”

'NCARB Talks' Video Series

2011-06-15T17:10:00.000-05:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has launched a new video series entitled “NCARB Talks,” featuring short, informal conversations with architects on staff.

These videos give viewers a glimpse of individual triumphs and challenges on the path to licensure. They discuss their experiences with the Intern Development Program (IDP), the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®), and the importance of getting licensed and ultimately NCARB certified.

Whether you are a student considering the profession, or are an intern currently in the process of becoming licensed, this series provides insight into the licensure process. These videos are also a resource to illustrate the realities of the profession for those mentoring the next generation of architects.

All videos are available at www.ncarb.org and NCARB’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/NCARBorg.

Student to Architect: The Path to Licensure

2011-06-14T17:03:00.002-05:00

Earning a license to practice architecture is an important career milestone. Watch a short video as NCARB architects discuss the path to licensure and the essential steps involved.

Texas Architect Contributor: Lauraine Miller, Hon. TSA

2011-06-14T10:00:00.002-05:00

Lauraine Miller, Hon. TSA has been the producer/editor of The Shape of Texas radio program since 1999. She fell in love with the built environment as a child in Brooklyn, where, on clear days, she could see the top of the Empire State Building from her bedroom window. Read her article on page 50.

McNay Spotlights George Nelson

2011-06-13T17:33:00.006-05:00

by Stephen Sharpe, Hon. TSA

The newly installed retrospective of George Nelson’s work at the McNay Art Institute in San Antonio offers a comprehensive look at the extraordinary range of a consummate designer. The exhibit encompasses Nelson’s early journalism, his iconic designs for furnishings by Herman Miller, and his elegant architectural projects. “George Nelson: Architect/Writer/Designer/Teacher” remains on view through Sept. 11.

I attended a media preview on June 8, led by staff curator Rene Barilleaux, who did not assemble the show but nonetheless is well versed in Nelson’s oeuvre and his place in the pantheon of American designers. Almost all of the pieces on display are on loan from the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Vitra – perhaps best known for its tiny replicas of famous chairs by twentieth-century designers – owns the European copyrights for Nelson’s work.

The exhibit, sponsored by Herman Miller, has been traveling for a couple of years, having come from the Oklahoma City Museum of Art to the McNay’s Jane & Arthur Stieren Center for Exhibitions. The companion book, published in 2008 by the Vitra Design Museum and available at the McNay’s gift shop, neatly organizes Nelson’s multiple and overlapping careers. Also on sale are several reproductions of his classic designs, including the Ball Clock and a miniature Marshmallow Sofa.

Following the media preview, invited guests were treated to an informal “conversation” between Vitra CEO Rolf Fehlbaum and Bill Lacy, FAIA, whose personal recollections included an observation of Nelson’s “wicked sense of humor.” To demonstrate Nelson’s satiric wit, Fehlbaum quoted some of the headlines of Nelson’s articles—“Design Technology and the Pursuit of Ugliness,” “A Problem of Design: How to Kill People,” and “Does It Really Matter What Color You Paint a Nuclear Bomb?”

In his brief remarks, Fehlbaum said he wouldn’t be in business if not for George Nelson. He credited Nelson for showing him how to organize operations in a manner very different from the way most European companies did. That business model has proved successful for Vitra, which maintains a compact corporate campus just across the border from Basel, Switzerland. As Fehlbaum illustrated in a short slide show, he has collected a menagerie of buildings by internationally known architects. They include a fire station by Zaha Hadid, a petrol station by Jean Prouvé (relocated to the campus), a geodesic dome by Buckminster Fuller, a conference pavilion by Tadao Ando, and the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry.

An erudite connoisseur of design, Fehlbaum suggested that Nelson’s body of work is less appreciated by the general public because he was an inventor of typologies rather than single pieces (with a few exceptions). The exhibit supports his conclusion, with displays that focus on Nelson’s concepts for the domestic storage wall (depicted in a humorously staged photo shoot for Life magazine) and modular "office systems" that were ahead of their time and sometimes failed in the marketplace. On that latter subject, Lacy recounted how he worked within the federal government to help bureaucrats accept the trend away from requisitioning individual desks and chairs for each employee in favor of ordering a workstation.

In closing, Lacy thanked Fehlbaum for raising the public’s awareness of Nelson’s work by loaning the pieces for the traveling exhibit. The show, he said, “is like Rolf brought the museum.” Fehlbaum responded with a compliment to the McNay, saying, “It looks better here than at our museum."

UT Architecture Students Build "Green" Complex for African Children

2011-06-13T14:51:00.005-05:00

More than 400 children from 19 villages in Tanzania, East Africa, will have access to clean water, sanitary facilities, and an education due to help from students in the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin.

Graduate students in the School of Architecture designed a complex to be located in the Simanjiro district in Tanzania, located to the east of the Serengeti National Park and to the south of Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa. The complex will serve the parish of Father Peter Pascal Pinto.

The “green build” complex, with natural lighting and ventilation, will be constructed using local building materials and hand-built construction techniques. Included in the design are 10 classrooms, dorms for students and volunteers, an outdoor cooking facility, teacher housing, sanitation facilities, and a well to provide water for the children and community, for animal herds, and for crop irrigation.

The project, a collaboration between the nonprofit organization Africa’s Promise Village and the School of Architecture, is under the direction of Professor Michael Garrison.

Click here to continue reading.

AIA Dallas: Portfolio/Resume Workshop

2011-06-13T09:37:00.003-05:00

Click on image to view larger version, or visit: http://aiadallas.affiniscape.com/cde.cfm?event=353998

Maeda and Ryan to Deliver Keynote Addresses at TSA Convention in Dallas

2011-06-10T10:50:00.003-05:00

John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design

John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design, and Rebecca Ryan, of Next Generation Consulting, will deliver keynote addresses on Fri., Oct. 28, during the Texas Society of Architects 72nd Annual Convention and Design Products and Ideas Expo, Oct 27-29, in Dallas.

Maeda is a Japanese-American graphic designer, computer scientist, university professor, and author whose work in design and technology explores the area where the two fields merge. As a software engineering student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he became fascinated with the work of Paul Rand and Muriel Cooper. Cooper was a director of MIT’s Visual Language Workshop. After completing his bachelors and masters degrees at MIT, Maeda studied in Japan at Tsukuba University’s Institute of Art and Design to complete his Ph.D. in design.

In 1999, Maeda was named one of the 21 most important people in the 21st century by Esquire. In 2001, he received the national Design Award for Communication Design in the United States and Japan’s Mainichi Design Prize. In 2006, Maeda published the best-seller Laws of Simplicity based on a research project to find ways for people to simplify their life in the face of growing complexity. He is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council.

Rebecca Ryan, Next Generation Consulting

Rebecca Ryan and her team at Next Generation Consulting is “a reliable source for CEOs, mayors, legislators, economic developers, and non-profit leaders who want to attract and retain the next generation of creative workers to their community or organization.” So wrote Richard Florida for the foreword of Ryan’s Live First, Work Second. Ryan is able to help others see their organizations and institutions through the lens of this newest crop of creatives so that smart and strategic adjustments align in ways that will draw them in. Regardless of zip code, native language, or vocation, members of the Creative Class place as much emphasis on where and how they live as where they work.

Raised in Wisconsin by members of the “greatest generation,” Ryan played professional basketball in Iowa, Minneapolis, Germany, and Hungary before returning to her home state. Accolades include 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year (U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship), Communicator of the Year 2006 (Women in Communication), and Ones to Watch 2009 (Inside Public Accounting).

Advocacy Update

2011-06-07T13:11:00.004-05:00

David Lancaster

TSA Senior Manager of Advocacy

After every session, there is a 20-day “post-session review period,” in which the Texas Governor can 1) veto, 2) sign into law, or 3) let become law without signature any bill that was passed during that Regular Session. While waiting for the 2011 period to run its course, here are some additional comments in response to questions that have already been raised about two bills mentioned in our May 25 and May 27 Advocacy Updates blogs, and/or the most recent CheckSet article.

After this year’s constitutional “veto period” ends, we’ll post a more comprehensive “final action” report about bills that were on TSA’s Legislative Tracking System, including descriptions of some “non-bill” lobbying activities (like working to defeat bad amendments to good—or at least benign—legislation) that we believe helped to advance or protect the profession.

HB 2284
The potential for a “grandfather” opportunity for engineers mentioned in June’s CheckSet article is much different from the one that came with passage of the interior designer title act in 1991. Because so many architects were grandfathered 20 years ago under that earlier law, several called or wrote asking for more detail, or at least clarification, about the difference or similarities between the two situations.

For an engineer to be granted a waiver by TBAE, he or she must offer documentation that they prepared the architectural plans and specifications for at least three projects that exceeded the threshold where an architect would be required. That application and documentation process must occur between Sept. 1, 2011, and Jan. 1, 2012. The Board of Architectural Examiners must determine during that time whether or not the projects are eligible or not, and if the projects were built "safely and adequately." (The TBAE decision is appealable to the State Office of Administrative Hearings.)

Contrast that with 1991 when, because all architects were exempt under that new title (as opposed to practice) law, they had two years in which to do so. All that was necessary was that an architect file the required paperwork asking to be jointly recognized and registered as an Architect and Interior Designer.

One of the most important elements of HB 2284 is the wording that, while architecture and engineering may be closely related...while they even have significant areas of overlap, the two professions are sufficiently different that the legislature had reason to put into statute that engineers may not prepare all the plans and specifications for a building intended for human use or occupancy; architects must be involved in those projects, too.

That clarification – that the practice of engineering does not include the practice of architecture – is what has been sought for many years. Given this clarification, our part of the negotiations centered on how to develop the best, most responsible "prove up" grandfathering process to qualify the number of engineers who might make it onto TBAE's “exempt list.”

HB 51/HB 1728
We’ve received numerous calls from optimistic members (or their accountants) about the “IRS Code, Section 179D” tax credit potential in both these bills, so here’s more helpful detail from the AIA national headquarters. (Note: there are two hyper-links embedded in the AIA article below, including one to a webinar on the topic. If you have questions that still can’t be answered, contact Christina Finkenhofer at christinafinkenhofer@aia.org or call her 202/626-7478.)

*179D Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction

Texas Architect Contributor: Bart Shaw, AIA

2011-06-05T10:00:00.001-05:00

Bart Shaw, AIA is the founder of Bart Shaw Architect. Recently, his entry in a holocaust memorial design competition was selected by Richard Meier and Daniel Libeskind as a finalist from an international field of 715 entries. Bart is president-elect of AIA Fort Worth and will be the organization’s president in 2012. Read his feature article on page 56.

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, July 1956

2011-05-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

July 1956

Advocacy Update

2011-05-27T16:46:00.003-05:00

David Lancaster

TSA Senior Manager of Advocacy

Since we’ve been posting a lot lately…because there has been a lot of action the past two weeks…the "news” portion of this will be only briefly bulleted. Here’s the status of our priority legislation as of 4 pm Friday, May 27:

• HB 2284, the A/E scope-of-practice “peace bill”—passed 5/25, headed to Governor
• HB 628, the Alternative Project Delivery consolidation bill—conference committee report written, awaiting placement on the Items Eligible list for approval in both chambers…its prospects are good
• HB 51, High Performance Building Standards bill—passed 5/27, headed to Governor
• HB 1728, Energy Performance Contracts bill—passed 5/26, headed to Governor
• HB 2093, the bill amended to include a prohibition against broad-form indemnification clauses—conference committee report written, awaiting placement on the Items Eligible list for approval in both chambers…its prospects are improving

(You can also read Yvonne Castillo's article in CheckSet next week for more detail about general categories of legislation we impacted, and we’ll follow up with a complete report shortly after this session adjourns Sine Die on Monday.)

Now…for the editorial part of this report. I have either reported on or been a lobbyist in every legislative session since 1977, and I’m here to tell you the 2011 edition was truly “unique”…to be euphemistic. (Think Chinese proverb, “May you live in interesting times”…and how that can mean anything.) Yesterday, I watched something unfold that I never expected to witness in my lobbying career—a direct hit on the “Go Along-Get-Along, Good Ol’ Boy” culture of the Texas House.

Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the longest serving female member of the House made a personal privilege speech that shook the House. (Want to watch it, check out this YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKf-6WiBq_Q). When it was over, she received supportive comments from a number of her House “sisters,” then the (male) head of the Democratic caucus announced the creation of a task force of male Ds to address Miss T’s concerns and invited the Republican caucus to identify several male members of that group to join the “D-men” in coming up with solutions…and quickly.

We’ve noted in previous posts that there has been more tension this year than in previous sessions, whether from the strain of a huge budget shortfall, more partisanship due to the Republican’s super-majority in the House (not to mention a 19-12 margin in the Senate and all the statewide offices), or trying to protect their electoral futures during re-districting. Gender politics wasn’t the radar screen, though, until yesterday…but it arrived in a big way. It was certainly bi-partisan, so it looks like it’s here to stay, if not all, at least in part.

I’ve seen many changes over the last 30+ years, most of them significant improvements. Now, I believe I’ve seen them all! Check out the video…you will, too.

(Despite the jokes we like to tell on ourselves to maintain our “wild and wooly ballot-box-packin’ reputation,” our government is arguably the most open, fair and transparent in the nation. And even with increases in partisanship over the past decade, I honestly believe we’re affected less by it than most others.)

Texas Architect Contributor: Paul Lodholz, AIA

2011-05-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

Paul Lodholz, AIA is a senior principal with Ziegler Cooper Architects and heads its Worship Place Studio, which revolves around numerous religious and non-profit clients. A resident of Houston since 1976, Paul is a former partner with Gerald Tackett and a former assistant professor at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture. With his wife, Joetta, he has enjoyed the many blessings of life in Houston, including raising four wonderful children and settling into being a grandparent, which is easily the most fun of all the fun one could have. See his Backpage article on page 80.

Advocacy Update

2011-05-25T12:26:00.003-05:00

David Lancaster

TSA Manager of Advocacy

The 134th day of our 140-day session was almost a spectacularly successful, historically memorable one…what with the Senate passage of three priority items—HB 2284, our “A/E resolution” bill, HB 628, the Alternative Project Delivery consolidation bill, and HB 1728, which includes the IRS 179D tax credit amendments limited to K-12 facility waivers. Rep. Rick Hardcastle has already said he will encourage his House colleagues to concur with the Senate changes to HB 2284; the same is true of Rep. Jim Keffer, the author of HB 1728.

A controversial amendment (two really) was added to HB 628. This bill will definitely be going to a conference committee to work out the differences...although, worst case scenario, at least one of the parties that's been involved throughout the negotiations may just walk away from the table and focus on simply killing the bill from this point. It will take a lot of work for HB 628 to wind up on the Governor's desk.

However, concurrence looks like a much better possibility for HB 2284 and 1728...and (hopefully) HB 2093, too. That last one is where Sen. Robert Duncan added most of what was in SB 361, a bill providing indemnification protections for the design and construction industry that we've been supporting all session.

(HB 2284 is, of course, the AE "Peace" bill that passed the Senate today and now awaits concurrence in the House. We believe it is likely to be on the Governor's desk before the session ends.)

After thinking it was dead because it hadn't been reported as coming out of committee in time, we now know that HB 51 is still alive. This is the High Performance Standards bill, and it includes our "comprehensive" 179D tax credit amendment that includes all levels of government. Our primary focus tomorrow will be helping ensure Sen. Hinojosa is recognized to bring it up for a vote...because tomorrow is the last day for the Senate to pass a bill or resolution (for the first time).

Soooo...if we can strip the bad amendments from 628 (and the "wavering" negotiators don't switch their focus to just killing It)...and we get HB 51 out of the Senate...we may well be on our way to an incredibly, spectacularly successful session! Until this year, I never thought we'd ever approach the success achieved in 1989, when we got both our practice act and lien law...but even that could be surpassed this year.

The next 3-4 days will decide how this session will rank in TSA history, but it has to be considered a success regardless given our AE resolution, plus the likelihood of the tax credit language and indemnification protections being added. (BTW...we may get another "business" bonus if SB 1811 isn't amended to strip an amendment that would disallow state entities from using sovereign immunity as a defense in breach of contract suits. That will be a more difficult change to keep...but it's not impossible.)

Hope this isn't too much "inside baseball" jargon...if it is, please forgive me. Questions? Call us, but be prepared to hear even more technical terms, acronyms, etc. We've been living and breathing this stuff--intensely--for the last two weeks, so be patient...and ask lots of questions.

Week 18: Advocacy Update

2011-05-23T17:33:00.003-05:00

Yvonne Castillo
TSA General Counsel

Last week we activated our grassroots efforts twice on (1) a proposal that would have consolidated the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners with the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and (2) another proposal that would have created a statewide stock school plans program. Thanks to those of you who participated in our grassroots alert! You voice made a difference and helped us defeat both…at least for now. There’s a week left in the Session and anything could happen.

On another note, we’ve been successful in getting some favorable language added to three separate bills that will help design professionals who choose to pursue federal tax deduction opportunities that were authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. One of which, I’ll admit, surprised me – House Bill 51 – the sustainable design bill. I personally didn’t think that the bill had a chance this Session because of past fiscal concerns and the dire economic budget climate, but indeed the bill has passed the House and the Senate Committee and is moving to the Senate Floor for the full Senate’s consideration.

Lastly, Senate Committee Substitute for HB 2284 is 91% through the process of passage. This is the bill that has been negotiated between the Texas Society of Architects, Texas Society of Professional Engineers and the Council of Engineering Companies. It was voted out of the Senate Committee on Saturday morning (May 21st) and will likely be passed out of the Senate Local Calendar very soon. This bill attempts to clarify the demarcation between architecture and engineering and creates a one-year window for engineers (licensed as of January 1, 2011) to apply to the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners to be on a list of engineers who are authorized to practice architecture without regulatory oversight of the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners.

For information on any of these bills or issues, don’t hesitate to contact me, David Lancaster (Sr. Manager of Advocacy) or Ted Kozlowski (Administrative Assistant for Advocacy) at 512-478-7386.

2011 Gulf Coast Green

2011-05-23T10:12:00.002-05:00

Gulf Coast Green 2011

Leading in a Challenging Climate

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

United Way of Greater Houston

50 Waugh Drive

Houston, TX

Up to 6 AIA CEU credit hours available.

Details and Registration

ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

2011 TSA Design Awards Announced

2011-05-19T16:28:00.009-05:00

2011 TSA Design Awards Announcement Sponsored by

www.pharrandcompany.com

Twelve of 257 entries were selected for 2011 TSA Design Awards on May 20. Winning projects will be recognized at a ceremony in Dallas during the TSA Convention, Oct. 27-29.

Jurors were David Salmela, FAIA, of Salmela Architects in Duluth, Minn.; Steve Dumez, FAIA, of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple in New Orleans; and James S. Russell, FAIA, architecture critic for Bloomberg News in New York City. Awarded projects will be featured in the September/October issue of Texas Architect.

A special thank you to Blackson Brick, the 2011 Design Awards Jury sponsor.

2011 Design Awards:  

• Arizona State University Polytechnic Academic Building (Mesa, Ariz.) by Lake/Flato Architects and RSP Architects

• Armstrong Oil & Gas Heaquarters (Denver, Colo.) by Lake/Flato Architects and Bothwell Davis George Architects

• Arthouse at the Jones Center (Austin, Texas) by LTL Architects

• Brockman Hall for Physics (Houston, Texas) by Kieran Timberlake

• Brown Residence (Scottsdale, Ariz.) by Lake/Flato Architects

• Cabin on Flathead Lake (Polson, Mont.) by Andersson Wise Architects

• Cutting Horse Ranch (Cross Timbers Region, Texas) by Lake/Flato Architects

• Full Goods (San Antonio, Texas) by Lake/Flato Architects in association with DHR Architects

• Rainwater Court (Mahiga, Nairobi area, Kenya) by Dick Clark Architecture in association with Architecture for Humanity

• Sam Houston Tollway Northwest Main Lane Plaza and Exit Toll (Houston, Texas) by RdlR Architects

• Singing Bell Ranch (Hunt County, Texas) by Max Levy Architects

• Sisters' Retreat (Austin, Texas) by Mell Lawrence Architects

AIA San Antonio Homes Tour: Call for Entries

2011-05-19T15:45:00.001-05:00

For more information, visit www.aiasa.org

Advocacy Update: Week 17

2011-05-18T13:15:00.003-05:00

David Lancaster
TSA Senior Manager of Advocacy

There’s a similarity between architecture and the legislative process that came into very clear focus this past week…and that is how things always come together in a flurry of activity at deadline time. No matter how much work has gone into a project (or into a bill) earlier, decisions must be made at the very end if everything is going to result in a “final product,” whether that’s a building or a law.

That is certainly the case for all the work that’s previously been done on several of TSA’s priority issues, including HB 51 (High Performance Building Standards), HB 628 (Alternative Project Delivery) and HB 2284 (A/E overlap issues). They are all still alive, and we’re continuing to work them hard to make sure the final product is a good one.

All three of these bills passed the House last week—on the final possible day. They have now been assigned to committees in the Senate, so they’ll likely be up for review or action the week of May 16. If they get quick action, they have an ever-increasing chance of becoming law; if they don’t, or if major changes must be made, they will likely die. The fewer changes the Senate makes, the better the bills’ chances of getting concurrence in the House…and we expect there will be Senate changes; in fact, we’re pushing at least one amendment on all three.

May 12-13 was the deadline for House bills to be approved on Second (2nd) Reading or die. We appreciate what so many members did in helping convince Representatives serving on the Calendars Committee either to set our priority measures for action…or not setting bills that seemed bad for the profession. We succeeded totally, achieving all we had hoped for…and more than anticipated. (The next such deadline, this time for comparable advancement of Senate bills, will be May 23-24.)

Despite the fact that HB 3166 was not set by the Calendars Committee for floor action (along with almost all of the other “bad” bills we’ve been tracking), however, we’re still very focused on ensuring that the content of such inappropriate legislation doesn’t get attached as an amendment to other, still viable bills. For this reason, we’re still actively monitoring every possible vehicle that could be used to consolidate the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) with other agencies, including (if not especially) the Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE), as was proposed in HB 3166…or language that would limit TBAE’s authority to regulate the practice of architecture fully, as proposed in HB 1698.

Please stay on “High Alert” for a TSA Legislative Alert this week and next. Just like you would with putting those final construction documents together at the end of the design process, we must be prepared to act…and act decisively…to ensure the best final product possible, or to prevent things that could turn into problems later. Thanks for everyone’s participation so far...and please stay ready to help us get successfully to the end of the 82nd Regular Session!

Texas Architect Contributor: Ed Soltero, AIA

2011-05-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

Ed Soltero, AIA serves as director of planning and construction at the University of Texas at El Paso. He received his Master of Architecture from NewSchool of Architecture + Design and will pursue a doctoral degree starting this fall. When not working, he likes to travel around the world photographing architecture. See his article about El Paso’s new federal courthouse on page 62.

Vote No on Callegari Amendment

2011-05-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

VOTE NO ON CALLEGARI AMENDMENT
THE RETURN OF VOODOO ECONOMICS

Amending SB 1811 by sticking in Callegari’s CSHB 3166 just doesn’t make economic sense…it only moves money from one state pocket to another.

CSHB 3166’s positive Fiscal Note is the result of dumping fees from two Self-Directed/Semi Independent (SDS I) agencies into General Revenue, not a product of organizational efficiencies.

A more significant incongruence is that there will be 58 more FTEs counted on the state employee roster as a result of the re-classification of SDSI employees. They aren’t counted on the state rolls now but will be in the future…increasing the size of state government, not shrinking it.

IT’S PREMATURE…KILLS SUNSET REVIEWS
All the agencies being consolidated under the Callegari amendment are up for Sunset Review in 2013. Why consolidate now without the Sunset Advisory Commission’s thorough study? Not only are the agencies going through Sunset in 2013, the whole SDSI pilot/research program, started in 2001, is up for Sunset next session, too. Consolidation now is counter-intuitive AND counter-productive!

IT THREATENS EFFECTIVE REGULATION
A single board regulating multiple professions dilutes the expertise needed to oversee each. The result is less expertise. The loss of focus from this increased generalization shows up in weaker regulatory enforcement. If there isn’t a direct reduction in regulatory oversight, there’s certainly a loss of effective enforcement, which, in cases of professional practices that impact health and safety, is a major concern for architects and engineers.

IT’S A TROJAN HORSE…UPSETTING PROFESSIONAL BALANCE
A consolidated board could give engineers the right to determine the future of the practice of architecture. The two professions are different and not interchangeable. Each has distinct educational, training, and examination requirements. One can’t, and shouldn’t, speak or decide for the other.

Royal Wedding Illustrator

2011-05-13T15:21:00.001-05:00

In 2008, the theme of Texas Architect's July/August issue was Regional Response. The magazine featured several projects ranging from Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange to Doss Heritage and Culture Center of Parker County, Weatherford. Art director, Julie Pizzo, commissioned illustrator Michael A. Hill to create art for the cover of Texas Architect and spot illustrations within the feature articles.

This year, Hill was chosen to illustrate a map that detailed the route taken by the Royal Family to Westminster Abbey on the morning of the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton. The map was included in the Royal Wedding Official Programme.

On the wedding day, guests received a copy of the programme as they entered the church, and 150,000 copies were sold by 60 Explorer Scouts and 80 Cadets (supervised by adults) for £2 per copy at locations in Green Park, Hyde Park, St James’s Park and Trafalgar Square. Profits from the sale of the Official Programme went go to benefit The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

image courtesy The British Monarchy

Hal Box, 1929 - 2011

2011-05-11T16:32:00.000-05:00

From UT Austin School of Architecture Dean Fritz Steiner regarding Hal Box, who passed away on Sunday, May 8, 2011:

Dear Alumni and Friends,

We have set up a memorial page in honor of our dear friend Hal Box, and encourage you to leave your thoughts and memories of Hal: http://soa.utexas.edu/soapress/hal-box/.

Sincerely,
Fritz

Memorial Services Set May 13 for Hal Box

2011-05-10T16:50:00.002-05:00

Memorial services for Hal Box, FAIA, will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 13, 2011, at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 301 E. 8th Street, Austin. Additional details are available from Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home:

Box died Sunday, May 8, at the age of 81. Over a long career that combined a distinguished architectural practice with his passion for architectural education, Box served as a role model for hundreds – if not thousands – of architects and future architects. Among his many significant accomplishments included his being recruited in 1971 as the first dean of the School of Architecture and Environmental Design at UT-Arlington, followed by his influential leadership as dean from 1976 to 1992 of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Architecture.

His remarkable career was recognized in 1998 by the Texas Society of Architects with its highest honor for a TSA member, the Llewellyn W. Pitts Award (now called the TSA Medal for Lifetime Achievement).

Guest Blog: Mark Wellen's Modern Midland Tour

2011-05-10T15:38:00.008-05:00

Mark Wellen, AIA.

Image courtesy of Cindeka Nealy/Reporter-Telegram

Mark Wellen, AIA

Rhotenberry Wellen Architects

West Texas

On March 30, Midland held its inaugural event observing Preservation Texas’ MODern Month, and I lead a tour of downtown Midland, which emphasized our stock of mid-century modern architecture. Midland rightfully earned its moniker as the “Tall City” by assembling an impressive array of office buildings established through a series of building booms fueled by the boom and bust cycles of the oil industry, which belies expectations of a city with a population of 100,000.

The observance of MODern Month in Midland was the brainchild of Brandon Melland, Planner with the City of Midland Planning Division. The list of notable structures was compiled by my research and a significant dose of data provided by the eminent architectural historian Stephen Fox. The genesis of the tour was about a year ago as a result of a request by the Texas Historical Commission for me to host a similar tour for a regional committee meeting they were holding in Midland.

We hope that the tour will become an annual event and be a stepping stone in the ongoing effort of revitalization of downtown Midland, as well as lead to a growing appreciation by our citizens of the quality of our stock of mid-century modern structures.

Below are pictures from the tour courtesy of Brandon Melland, with the City of Midland's Planning Division, and who attended UTSA's architecture school.

Harold Box, Former Dean of UT Architecture School Dies at 81

2011-05-10T12:03:00.006-05:00

Hal Box, former UT dean

By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

May 9, 2011

"It is hard to overstate the significance of this loss to our community," said Fritz Steiner, current dean of the UT School of Architecture. "Hal was an extraordinary architect and scholar and visionary leader, as well as a loving and generous person. His imprint on our school and Texas will endure."

John Harold Box was born in 1929 in Commerce, where his father was on the faculty of East Texas State Teachers College. Precociously smart, the young "Hal" Box completed a five-year architecture degree at UT when he was 20 and spent a brief period as an apprentice to leading Texas regional modernist O'Neil Ford, an experience Box would later credit as profoundly inspirational.

After a stint in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps as an aircraft designer, Box began his professional practice in Dallas, where he co-founded the firm of Pratt, Box and Henderson Architect in 1958. The firm's projects included the master plan for the State Fair of Texas, as well as buildings at numerous college campuses around the country.

In 1971 he was recruited to be the first dean of the School of Architecture and Environmental Design at UT-Arlington. At the time, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex was the largest urban area in the United States without an architecture school. In 1976, Box was appointed dean at UT-Austin, a position he held for 16 years, followed by six years as a professor until his retirement in 1998. Box was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In April, UT named Box a dean emeritus.

During his tenure as dean, Box upped the national profile of the architecture program significantly and raised a $6 million endowment for the critically underfunded school.

An advocate of New Urbanism, Box coined what became known as the "five-minute Popsicle rule'' — that an ideal urban neighborhood is one in which a child can go to the store to buy a Popsicle and get safely back home within five minutes.

Click here to continue reading.

Advocacy Update: Week 16

2011-05-09T15:37:00.002-05:00

Yvonne Castillo
TSA General Counsel

Warning. What you read today could easily change tomorrow, especially during the last days of the Session, which by the way now includes Saturdays from here on out. Remarkably, few bills have passed -- 3% of all bills filed –which isn’t surprising given the unprecedented number of controversial issues the legislature is facing this Session. To name a few (as if you didn’t already know): $27 billion shortfall, abortion, immigration, 20+ major agency sunset bills, and redistricting. That’s a formula for gridlock. Yet despite these distractions, it appears that TSA is possibly headed in the direction of some accomplishments.

A/E Issue - Since the beginning of Session, TSA leadership has been heavily involved in negotiating a resolution to the ongoing dispute between architects and engineers.

It’s not been an easy road by any stretch of the imagination. The Government Affairs Steering Committee voted yesterday to move forward following extensive and in-depth discussion.

The bill that has been negotiated would create an administrative process for one year, starting September 1, 2011, whereby the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners would consider applications from engineers who are licensed as of January 1, 2011 to apply to practice architecture. Successful applicants must demonstrate to the Board that they designed and built three projects for human use and occupancy (i.e. non-exempt projects under the Architects Practice Act) without an architect. Non-successful applicants may appeal to a binding arbitration panel. The successful applicants would remain under the jurisdiction of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. In exchange, the definition of engineering, in the Engineers Practice Act is amended to explicitly exclude the practice of architecture as defined in the Architects Practice Act. The bill was voted out of the House yesterday and is headed to the Senate.

Tort Reform Issues - “Loser pay” themed legislation appears to have some momentum this Session, especially now that the Governor has declared the legislation as an “emergency” item. Already, a bill has passed that mandates that successful lien claimants recover attorneys and costs in defending their claims. It appears that other legislation with this same theme may prevail.

Tax Incentives – TSA is working to pass legislation that would ease the ability for architects to maximize on the use of federal tax incentives intended for design professionals that was built into the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Alternative Project Delivery – Consistency in delivery methods still has a chance for passage, but it’s going to be close. The clock is ticking for House bills. If we can get it out of the House next week, it’s looking good.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned. Next week could be a completely different story. Heck, Monday could be a completely different story! As always, please don’t hesitate to contact staff if you have questions.

Texas Architect Contributor: Matt Fajkus, AIA

2011-05-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

Matt Fajkus, AIA is a graduate of Harvard University Graduate School of Design and UT Arlington. He’s worked for Max Levy, FAIA, Brinkley Sargent Architects, and Foster + Partners in London. He currently teaches at UT Austin and is designing a sustainable technology laboratory and two residences. His Open House feature begins on page 34.

Advocacy Update: Week 15

2011-05-03T18:10:00.001-05:00

David Lancaster

TSA Senior Manager of Advocacy

As I write this, things are strange in the Capital City, but keep in mind that our official city motto is “Keep Austin Weird.”

It’s May 2—which means there are 28 days left in the Regular Session—and cold, if you can believe Texas has ever had cold weather this late in the spring. In the previous sentence, I stressed that there are four weeks left in the Regular Session because I’m going to go on record now in predicting there will be at least one Special Session, maybe more. The Senate doesn’t seem able to come to agreement on its own version of a 2012-13 biennium budget, much less prepared to take on House conferees to negotiate differences between the House’s version of HB 1 and the Senate Finance committee’s version of that bill—currently a difference of about $12 billion. Establishing a budget for the following two years is the one-and-only requirement of every Texas Legislature, so the current state of flux (and/or impasse) only increases “Special Session likelihood” with each passing day.

The final 4-6 weeks of a Regular Session is typically the point where many bills start dying, although that doesn’t mean they disappear. This is the time when “bills become amendments”…things someone thought they had successfully bottled up earlier suddenly show up again in a bill that used to be OK, but now is a problem. If you’re confused, don’t worry, it’s not you…it’s the process. The good news is you do have professional staff in Austin who may not understand design or codes all that well, but we know the legislative process—and, we’re paranoid on your behalf!

Nothing that’s been identified as “TSA Priority Legislation” in previous blogs is dead, at least not “officially,” which is tremendously encouraging. We’re working both the committees that set bills for debate and action by the full House (Calendars and Local & Consent Calendars) hard to set bills that we want to pass, as well as trying to keep bad bills off those lists. For example, last week we urged affirmative action on HBs 611 and 628 (our Alternative Project Delivery bill) with Calendars, and HB 2284 (the A/E scope-of-practice negotiated compromise) with Local & Consent, and sent a Legislative Alert to TSA members who are constituents of the 15 members of the Calendars to oppose setting HB 3166, a bill that would consolidate the Boards of Architectural Examiners, Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Speaking of Legislative Alerts, please stay vigilant for any you receive. Not only are they critical in getting the Society’s message delivered to the right (decision-making) audience, they are time-sensitive. If you get one, please help us help you by acting…personally and quickly. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact the TSA office. We’re here to help, whether you need us to clarify the request, interpret legislative jargon or explain the process. Our direct telephone numbers (all Area Code 512) are Yvonne Castillo—615-7730, Ted Kozlowski—615-7731, or David Lancaster—615-7735.

Texas Architect: May/June 2011 Context

2011-05-02T14:07:00.007-05:00

This edition’s featured projects strike a balance between a building’s unique program and the desire for synthesis with its surroundings. The design of the U.S. Courthouse in El Paso directly relates to the region’s geography and history, while adhering to stringent security standards; the restoration of Ancient Oaks near Bastrop recaptures a once-lost sense of place through sensitivity to existing conditions; the Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg demonstrates how to tell a heroic story through architecture without overwhelming a small town’s historic fabric; and Singing Bell Ranch quietly nestles in its rural grassland setting to offer its city-dwelling owners a getaway of “ranch pragmatism” and prevailing breezes.

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, June 1956

2011-04-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

June 1956

AIA Conducting Design Assistance Project in New Orleans

2011-04-29T09:57:00.001-05:00

The American Institute of Architects' Center for Communities by Design, in accordance with the AIA's long-standing commitment to public service, will conduct a pro-bono design assistance project on the Elysian Fields Avenue Corridor in downtown New Orleans.

The effort, known in the architecture world as a charrette, will take place May 8 through 11, just before the AIA's annual convention in New Orleans convenes May 12-14. It culminates in a final presentation to the community on May 11 at Dillard University at 6:30 p.m.

The AIA will lead a multi-disciplinary team of national experts, in partnership with Eskew, Dumez & Ripple, a leading New Orleans firm. The team will be led by Todd Scott, AIA, who has been involved in and led design assistance projects in places as diverse as Oregon, Vermont, Virginia and Maine. Scott will work with city officials, residents and corridor stakeholders to analyze existing conditions along the corridor and form a set of design recommendations for its future.

The charrette will involve public tours, stakeholder work sessions, public workshops, interviews, and design studio sessions with partners from the New Orleans design community. The team's work will focus on both the corridor as a whole, as well as strategic sites that lend themselves to urban design interventions. The project will build upon the current momentum in New Orleans to revamp its major streets for livability and economic revitalization.

Click here to continue reading.

Architecture is Focus of Downtown Walking Tour

2011-04-29T09:44:00.005-05:00

Mark Wellen will lead a tour today that will highlight some of the historic mid-century to modern architecture design of buildings, like the Bank of America building on Wall Street, during Downtown Midland Walking Tour. Cindeka Nealy/Reporter-Telegram

mywesttexas.com

April 29, 2011

Audrie Palmer
Midland Reporter-Telegram

Residents will be able to view mid-century to modern architectures on a walking tour this morning around the downtown area.

Midland architect Mark Wellen (Texas Society of Architects member) will lead the free tour, which is open to the public. Those wanting to participate should meet at 10 a.m. in Centennial Plaza.

The tour is being held in conjunction with the Inaugural Texas MODern Month, and Wellen said he hopes to raise awareness of the need to preserve some of Midland's buildings.

"There are great examples of mid-century and modern architecture here," he said looking across Centennial Plaza Friday afternoon.

The tour will be about a mile of walking covering a two-block-by-four-block area and will include about 20 buildings officials have identified as buildings from that period. It's expected to last between one and two hours, Wellen said.

While there are a lot of residential projects in Midland that could be included on the tour, Wellen said officials wanted to keep this first one simple, but they could expand it over time.

Read more here.

Architecture Students Have 'Designs' for Sudan

2011-04-29T09:38:00.005-05:00

Students and faculty of Texas A&M University System's College of Architecture meet with staff from the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture to show their designs for Rehab Nova -- a multi-purpose rehabilitation, health and agriculture facility proposed for southern Sudan. (Texas A&M College of Architecture photo).

COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M University System’s College of Architecture and Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture have collaborated to produce designs for a new multi-purpose health, training, and agriculture facility for southern Sudan.

“The Rehab Nova-International multipurpose facility is designed to be built in three phases,” said George J. Mann, AIA, a professor of architecture at the college who worked with the students in developing their designs. “The facility would include land for agriculture, livestock, boarding houses, guest houses, labs, classrooms, and facilities for physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and vocational rehabilitation.”

Mann added the facility also would have offices and a health clinic to help orphans, women, and the physically disabled in the rural Sudanese communities of Birka and Bor.

Designs for the facility were developed by architecture students after doing extensive research on Sudanese culture, climate, materials, and methods of construction, and incorporating these elements into their designs. Five students – three men and two women – participated in the architectural “studio” with each developing their own individual design for the facility in one of the designated communities.

Read more here.

AMOA Presents ART + ARCHITECTURE: New Architecture in Austin

2011-04-28T09:29:00.004-05:00

The Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) presents the third installment of ART + ARCHITECTURE today, April 28, and will use the format of New Art in Austin as a blueprint for this edition. J.C Schmeil, AIA, is one of the speakers.

New Art in Austin, which is on view at AMOA-Downtown from Feb. 26 -May 22, 2011, is the fourth in a triennial showcase that introduces emerging and lesser-known artists from Central Texas whose work stretches the boundaries of contemporary art.

Austin Foundation for Architecture: Request for Grant Applications

2011-04-28T09:21:00.004-05:00

The Austin Foundation for Architecture (AFA) requests applications for its 2011 June grant cycle. AFA's two-part mission is to:

1) develop the general public's education, awareness, and appreciation for architecture, and to promote responsible stewardship of the Central Texas environment.

2) develop sustainable architectural leadership for AIA Austin, and other public, professional, and community organizations in Central Texas.

Recent grants have awarded scholarships for participation in Leadership Austin, sponsored an Architecture Film Series, provided funding for an international design competition, and supported a volunteer-led Architecture in Schools program. Average grants have been around $1,200. The amount of any grant award is determined by the Board based on the available funds and the degree to which the grant will further the mission of AFA as demonstrated in the application.

Applications are due by June 1, 2011. The application form can be found here.

Questions regarding the application process may be directed to the Grant Awards Committee Chair, Al York, AIA, at ayork@mckinneyyork.com.

Graduate Students Working on Projects at Cutting-Edge Development in South Africa

2011-04-25T16:43:00.004-05:00

archone

Texas A&M University

April 20, 2011

Texas A&M College of Architecture students studying abroad in South Africa are designing a study center and developing a business plan for a nonprofit utility company while working on a groundbreaking real estate development located on the coast of the the country’s Eastern Cape.

Graduate students in the college’s architecture and land development programs have spent the spring semester at Crossways Farm Village, a 1,400-acre residential development located on a dairy farm; the first project of its size in the country. They are collaborating with Chris Mulder and Associates, an architecture and land development firm that is designing and managing the project.

The study center is being designed to initially house students and professors from the Texas A&M colleges of architecture and agriculture. It will include a high-tech milking building, seminar rooms, library and design studios to enable future study abroad participation by additional Texas A&M colleges, said Glen Mills a professor of architecture who is leading the South African study abroad program.

Click here to continue reading.

Houston's Eco-achievements are Mounting

2011-04-25T16:13:00.004-05:00

According to an April 21, 2011, article on Chron.com, "Houston has 118 buildings that are LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating points to energy efficiency, water savings, use of green materials, sustainable site development, and more. Houston ranks sixth in the country for cities with green buildings."

City's eco-achievements are mounting
Recycling, building and vehicle initiatives are expanding, mayor says

Chron.Com
April 21, 2011
By Maggie Galehouse

Houston's mayor wants people to get outside.

"We're trying to find more ways to get people out of doors," Mayor Annise Parker said at an Earth Day Breakfast held outside City Hall earlier this week.

That effort includes everything from encouraging residents to grow vegetable gardens — the city grows herbs and vegetables in huge pots around city buildings and parks - to enabling more city dwellers to recycle.

At the breakfast, Parker updated a green-leaning crowd on Houston's environmental accomplishments.

"One-third of city residents have curbside, single-stream recycling," Parker noted, adding that she herself is a "rabid recycler" whom staff has pulled away from trash bins when she sees recyclables that have been thrown away.

"We are the oil-and-gas capital," Parker said, "but we want to be the energy capital."

Among the city's green accomplishments:

The City Hall Farmers Market, launched last year, sells local produce from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays at 901 Bagby.

Houston is the largest municipal purchaser of wind energy in America.

Houston has 118 buildings that are LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating points to energy efficiency, water savings, use of green materials, sustainable site development and more. Houston ranks sixth in the country for cities with green buildings.

More than 300 organizations are registered with the Houston Green Office Challenge, which recognizes achievements in energy usage, waste, water and tenant participation (sign up at HoustonGOC.org).

Continue reading here.

Advocacy Update: Week 14

2011-04-25T12:43:00.002-05:00

Yvonne Castillo

TSA General Counsel

Thank you TSA Advocates for staying informed. We have five weeks left of the Session, and in politics, that’s a LONG time. On any given day, you can check in with me in the morning on an issue and by the end of the day, the landscape looks totally different. But recognizing this reality is half the battle. As long as architects stay in touch with lawmakers on our issues, repeatedly, any chance you get, the Session will be successful for the profession. Our mantra shall remain: “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

Here are the highlights of this past week: (in order of progress through the legislative process)

• If any of you have ever had to defend a lien to recover payment from a client, good news! a bill is approaching passage that would require Courts to award a successful lien claimant attorneys fees and costs.

• The negotiated A/E “Peace” bill that would give licensed engineers the opportunity to prove up demonstrated competence in preparing architectural plans and specifications for three (3) built public projects, in exchange for amending the statutory definition of “engineering” which explicitly excludes the practice of architecture has been voted out of Committee and is heading to the Consent calendar…that means it’s moving fast to the Senate Chamber.

• For those of you who’ve had trouble with governmental entities on contract issues, a bill has been reported out of committee that would waive sovereign immunity for claims exceeding $250,000. This threshold is a bit high, I know, but it’s a start.

• A public-private partnerships bill that would help inject funds into the construction of public projects has been reported out of committee.

• A slew of generically captioned “fiscal matters” bills that were filed as “shell” bills early in the Session concerned TSA and we’re now starting to see the real content of the bills -- so far, the architectural profession has steered clear of any major revenue-raising measures. But there’s still time.

• Fire protection technicians that you rely on for installation will be more regulated; if the bill continues at its steady pace. It’s been reported out of committee and, if it passes, it should give architects some peace of mind.

• Lastly, on Thursday of this past week, a bill that would consolidate the architects board with the engineers and land surveyor boards was heard but left pending. Problematic? Yes – for a number of reasons but the biggest issue for TSA members is board representation – 5 engineers, 3 architects. 5-3 aren’t good odds. Watch for targeted action requests on this bill!

DWR Fourth Annual Modern + Design +Function Austin Furniture Now Competition

2011-04-21T17:05:00.002-05:00

Design Within Reach is holding its Fourth Annual Modern + Design + Function Austin Furniture Now juried competition this month.

M+D+F's purpose is to discover and "promote innovative modern furniture." In addition to this year's lighting and furniture categories, a special green category has been added featuring furniture that incorporates environmentally conscious designs by using green processes and materials. Jurors include furniture craftsman Mark Macek, bookbinder Lindsay Nakashima, and University of Texas Assistant Professor of Architecture Tamie Glass.

Deadline for submissions is 6 p.m. April 26, 2011. Winning designs will be displayed at Design Within Reach, 200 W. Second St., Austin, on May 26. Interested participants should contact Vickie Collins at vcollins@dwr.com or call 512-472-7200. Visit the Austin studio link at www.dwr.com for more information, submission requirements, and entry applications.

UH to Provide Solar Powered Adaptive Containers for Everyone (SPACE) to City of Houston

2011-04-21T16:47:00.009-05:00

The Cypress Times

April 18, 2011

As a coastal city, Houston remains in constant preparation mode for possible severe weather emergencies. To be ready for storms or other crises, city officials are tapping into the talents of University of Houston Green Building Components (UHGBC) applied research program in the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture for disaster relief solutions.

Through a new partnership with the city, a UHGBC-supported team of faculty researchers and industry partners will provide city parks, schools, fire stations and other locations with 17 of its Solar Powered Adaptive Containers for Everyone (SPACE). The city recently awarded a $1.35 million contract (funded by a grant to the city from the State Energy Conservation Office) to UHGBC to construct these SPACE stations. The units are scheduled to be constructed and completely in place for the 2011 hurricane season.

SPACE units are recycled shipping containers equipped with solar generators. They are rated to withstand hurricane force winds and can be quickly deployed using helicopters or flatbed trailers. Two people can put a single unit into service in approximately 30 minutes.

Click here to continue reading the article.

Ike-Damaged Galveston Ironwork to be Restored

2011-04-21T16:38:00.003-05:00

Chron.com
AP Texas News
April 19, 2011

GALVESTON, Texas — Owners of some historic buildings facing thousands of dollars in costs to repair intricate ironwork left rusting since Hurricane Ike's 2008 storm surge are closer to getting federal help to pay to bills.

Saltwater up to 12 feet deep washed through parts of the city, leading to rust damage that preservationists say needs to be fixed.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation in April 2009 added Galveston's cast-iron architecture to its list of America's Most Endangered Historic Places. The repair project, using federal grants, also includes partnering with the Galveston Historical Foundation.

Crews led by Walker Restoration, the lead contractor for the project, in the past week evaluated five buildings to assess damage and complete environmental inspections, the Galveston County Daily News reported Tuesday.

"The architecture and these buildings are very important," said Lori Feild Schwarz, city assistant director of planning and special projects. "We are a truly unique place, and the fact that we have so many of these cast-iron buildings makes it really an amazing project for us."

Architecture students from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2009 surveyed properties and identified about 30 with fancy cast-iron facades.

Click here to continue reading.

Homeowners Advised of P+W's 'Precautionary List'

2011-04-19T16:58:00.006-05:00

A recent post on re-nest.com cautions homeowners about harmful effects of some building materials, which are specified in a “precautionary list” produced by Perkins + Will. (See the Jan/Feb 2010 Texas Architect for the Editor’s Note about that list and the firm’s research into dangerous chemicals commonly used in building construction.)

The blog links directly to the P+W list (http://transparency.perkinswill.com/), recommending it for those homeowners who “sometimes feel like you're fighting a losing battle” in avoiding embodied chemicals that pose health hazards within the household environment. Alphabetically searchable by chemical name, the list provides summaries of possible health hazards.

The website re-nest.com is a subsidiary of Apartment Therapy, whose own portal describes its mission as “helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online.”

Update: Galveston's Green Revival House

2011-04-19T16:05:00.003-05:00

The recent renovation in Galveston of an 1891 cottage called the Green Revival House, a project funded by the Galveston Historical Foundation, is among the winners of 2011 Preservation Texas Honor Awards. In addition, the Green Revival House has achieved LEED for Homes Platinum certification, a first for a small and historic residence.

The Galveston Historical Foundation is duly proud of the achievements.

The project, profiled in the Jan/Feb edition, successfully rescued and rehabilitated the 1,000-sf cottage that sustained severe damage during Hurricane Ike in 2008. Following local historical preservation guidelines, volunteers from Houston and Galveston completed the work last year through a partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Among the local design professionals assisting the effort were Greg Lewis, AIA, and Chula Ross Sanchez, Assoc. AIA.

Advocacy Update

2011-04-15T16:50:00.003-05:00

David Lancaster

TSA Senior Manager of Advocacy

This was a GREAT week for TSA’s Advocacy efforts! We had two critical bills move out of their respective House committees (one even recommended for the Local & Consent Calendar), and since both were consensus committee substitutes, in other words, they’re now “agreed” bills, their chance of final passage is really good.

CSHB 2284
The acronym “CSHB” stands for Committee Substitute for House Bill. The substitute is a complete re-write of the Filed version. It’s the “Peace Accord” bill that we hope—and expect—will end over 20 years of professional overlap disputes between architects and engineers. Assuming this one stays on track, and the good news is that this is the one that was sent to Local & Consent, the calendar reserved for less controversial or uncontested bills, it will eliminate the need for any further consideration of seven other bills that had your Society Advocates alarmed. Again, if it stays on a “consensus track,’ it should be in the Senate…where a friendly sponsor is waiting to keep it rolling smoothly…before the end of April!

CSHB 628
The Alternative Project Delivery consolidation bill we have jointly sponsored with the Associated Builders & Contractors, Associated General Contractors and Texas Council of Engineering Companies each session since 2005 is moving again. As in two previous sessions when it passed both chambers only to be vetoed by the Governor, the timing is good and the revised language has no visible opposition. In the meantime, we’ve already started checking with Perry’s office to make sure it won’t get vetoed this time if/when it gets to his desk.

OTHER NEWS & MEETING
Two bills dealing with the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) had our attention this week: HB 1859, which would grant an exemption to any structure or facility owned by a religious entity, was reported favorably from committee; and, HB 2658, which would eliminate the state Architectural Barriers law and rely solely on the ADA, will be modified to propose an interim study of TAS and how it’s currently administered by TDLR…with the potential that it could be moved to TBAE later.

The Codes & Standards committee suggested we oppose HB 1859 because of the precedent it would set in granting an exemption based on who owns a project, not the human use or occupancy purpose it serves. Historically, TSA has opposed broad exemptions from either building codes or historic preservation statutes being granted to churches.

HB 2010, companion to SB 361, the “Indemnification Protection” bill, had its first hearing this week, and left as pending business. Our hope is that something, preferably the Senate version, will get kicked out within the next two weeks, with ample time to be scheduled for floor debate before mid-May.

HB 51, the High Performance Building Standards bill, still awaits a set by the Calendars committee for required second and third reading approvals on the House floor, but “the other green” bills, three related to business practices (i.e., sovereign immunity, Public-Private Partnerships and limiting public entities’ ability to perform services available from the private sector) all moved out of committee successfully. None are “sure things,” but there’s hope and we’re working them, both to improve the language in them as well as to improve their chances.

While it wasn’t directly related to QBS, there was an interesting debate this morning on the House floor between proponents of “best value” v. “low bid/price.” While it was focused on the Dept. of Information Resources…computer and information system commodities…it was a wake-up call that we aren’t out of those woods altogether yet.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS: It’s getting “testier” by the week, if not the day, around the Capitol. We must maintain progress getting our bills passed, hopefully within the next four weeks, because after that budget negotiations and redistricting will sweep the stage. While it may be “edgy,” it’s fascinating…it’s fun…and it’s your future. Please stay tuned and respond immediately to any Legislative Alerts you get. Timing is to politics what location is to real estate.

Rice School of Architecture Summer Program

2011-04-15T11:39:00.002-05:00

LAUNCH
Rice University School of Architecture is pleased to announce LAUNCH, a new summer program in architectural design.

LAUNCH offers students in any field an opportunity to design the future and learn about architecture in an immersive, exciting atmosphere of hands-on speculation and experimentation. Formatted as a four-week design studio — fueled by discussions, lectures, and field trips with faculty from the Rice School of Architecture — students will design architectural projects that respond to issues and sites in the city of Houston.

LAUNCH requires only a committed interest to creative inquiry and enthusiastic pursuit of new ideas; no previous experience in architecture or design is required for admission.

The summer 2011 session of LAUNCH begins Mon., June 6, 2011, and ends Fri., July 1, 2011.
Application Deadline: Fri., May 6, 2011.

For more information, visit http://arch.rice.edu/launch.aspx

TBAE Updates Education, Experience Requirements to Bring Uniformity

2011-04-11T16:19:00.003-05:00

TBAE Licensing News

April 2011

In our fast-paced professions, rarely do things remain static
very long. As the professions change to meet current and future
demands, the Board is consistently monitoring and planning
for these as well. One of the important responsibilities of the
Board is to update standing rules as our three professions
advance their changing practices.

During its January, 2011 meeting, the Board adopted what
some considered a much-needed “cleanup” of some outdated
internship and education rules dating from the 1990s. It is
important that the rules that regulate our professions are
always clear and up to date. The recent rule amendments
were designed to do multiple things at once:

• Remove obsolete provisions
• Raise the education and experience standards for all
three professions
• Maintain a small degree of flexibility for the small
number of potential licensees affected.

The newly-adopted rules restrict the “grandfather” provisions
for architects, registered interior designers (RIDs), and
landscape architects to those who apply on or before
August 31, 2011. On the following day, September 1, 2011,
those provisions will be repealed and no one will be eligible
for registration under those previous provisions.

Click here for more information from TBAE.

Advocacy Update: Week 12

2011-04-11T09:48:00.002-05:00

Yvonne Castillo

TSA General Counsel

This week ran the gamut of issues. Here are the highlights of bills heard in Committee:

• a bill exempting buildings owned by religious organizations from accessibility standards,

• a negotiated bill between Texas Society of Architects and the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Dan Hart and the President of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers appeared side-by-side at the podium to explain what the bill does. This has been a difficult negotiation on the AE overlap issue with a 20+-year history and both organizations have reached agreement. While the bill was left pending and we expect it to be voted out within days, the bill appears to be headed for the Local and Consent calendar, which is “Leg (as in Legislative) talk” for “it’s going to move quickly out of the House and on to the Senate,”

• several bills were heard that would give architects, as the prevailing party, the ability to recover attorneys fees,

• preservation funding bills,

• economic development and a slew of generally captioned “fiscal matters” bills that are ripe to be vehicles for potential increased occupation fees or other business-impacting concerns,

• a bill that would repeal the “interior design title act” from a “government efficiency standpoint.”

Photos from Publications Committee Retreat, March 25-27

2011-04-08T11:36:00.004-05:00

The TSA Publications Committee annual retreat was held March 25-26 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Below are a few images from that trip. Images courtesy of Filo Castore.

To view more pictures, click here.

Federal Government Shutdown: What You Need to Know

2011-04-08T11:25:00.003-05:00

Robert Ivy
EVP/Chief Executive Officer
The American Institute of Architects

Dear Colleagues:

As you no doubt know from news reports, Congressional leaders and President Obama have failed so far to agree on a budget in time to avert a shut-down of the federal government, scheduled to begin at midnight tonight. Congress has not sent any of its fiscal year 2011 appropriations bills to the President because of disagreements over spending levels. Unless an agreement between negotiators is reached - and that could happen at any time - the last continuing resolution on the 2011 budget expires at the end of the day today, and the government is officially closed for business beginning tomorrow, Saturday, April 9.

Anticipating questions about such an event, the AIA government relations team assembled a comprehensive list of answers to questions most on the minds of members. This set of FAQs contains as much information as we know at this time. We'll update them as more information becomes available from various federal authorities and agencies.

Rest assured that while the federal government may be closed, we are not. The AIA is open, fully functioning and available to meet your needs.

It has been 15 years since the federal government experienced a shutdown. As another shutdown looms, there are lots of questions about how it will affect all Americans, especially those who work with (and for) the federal government. If your projects receive federal funding, will they have to stop? If you are a federal contractor, what should you be doing?

Much remains unclear about what happens after a possible shutdown, including the processes and procedures that individuals and companies doing business with the government will face. In order to help AIA members through the confusion, the AIA Federal Relations team has launched a Web page to provide up-to-date information about any shutdown that may occur and what you need to do.

We also encourage you to read the Angle for updates on government activity, and follow the federal relations team on Twitter @aialobbyist.

For more information, contact govaffs@aia.org

Shutdown 101: FAQ

What is a government shutdown?

A government shutdown occurs when Congress and the President fail to approve and enact into law funding for federal agencies. The federal government operates on an Oct. 1-Sept. 30 fiscal year. Each year Congress must pass and send to the President a series of appropriations bills that fund most government agencies and programs. If an agency does not have its funding signed into law by Oct. 1, Congress can pass a so-called continuing resolution that extends the prior year’s funding levels for a short time until a full-year appropriations bill can pass. If the President does not sign either a continuing resolution bill or a full-year appropriation, the affected agency or agencies must cease operations except for essential services.

Click here to continue reading.

Protecting Funding Means Protecting Our Texas History

2011-04-07T15:05:00.002-05:00

Letters to the Editor
Statesman.Com

April 6, 2011
James F. Ray, President

Preservation Texas, Inc.

A remarkable thing happened in Austin recently. Six separate historic preservation groups and a throng of concerned citizens came together at Scholz Garten in a rally to help save the Texas Historical Commission, the guardian and nerve center for our heritage, from draconian budget cuts in the Texas Legislature.

Texas music legend Ray Benson of Asleep in the Wheel performed gratis because of his deep passion for Texas history. The 1866 Scholz Garten, a treasured piece of history itself, waived its usual event fee when it learned about the cause. Benson told the enthusiastic crowd that he came to Texas 40 years ago because of its rich history and diverse culture.

United, the crowd called for the Legislature to reject the proposed 77 percent cut to the Texas Historical Commission, a reduction far greater than the average 28 percent reduction recommended for other similar agencies.

Why, in the face of tight spending for public education, health programs and social services is funding for the Texas Historical Commission important to the people of Texas? Remembering Texas' unique history through preservation of historic structures and sites is itself part of our public education.

Imagine a Texas where there was no Alamo for children to visit, or a San Jacinto Battleground covered over with concrete and commercial warehouses. What would it say to Texas children if the magnificent Capitol was still a fire trap, or if the 1856 Governor's Mansion had just been bulldozed after the devastating fire of 2008?

Click here to continue reading.

Advocacy Update: Week 11

2011-04-04T16:29:00.003-05:00

April 4-8 could be a critical week for TSA’s 2011 advocacy efforts. A hard-earned negotiated agreement between architects and engineers that might end more than 20 years of struggle over where one discipline ends and the other begins is up for review and potential action by the Licensing & Administrative Procedures committee Tues., April 5. This effort is the result of negotiations that began in the summer, which appeared lately to be off-course, but through the good efforts of Rep. Mike Hamilton (Beaumont) are back on track.

Assuming things work out as hoped/planned, one of the bills the Society was most concerned with previously—HB 2284, relating to the practice of engineering—will become the vehicle to spell out our AE agreement when that new language is introduced in the form of a Committee Substitute (CS) at Tuesday’s hearing. Not only would the bill that was arguably considered our biggest threat become one of our new favorites, the substitute language would likely eliminate the likelihood for up to seven other “troubling” bills being considered further, too.

The potential is tremendous…and we’re not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination, but things are looking so much brighter than just a couple of weeks ago. It’s not too early, however, to say “thanks” to Rep. Mike Hamilton for his “encouragement” to both sides to work things out, as well as his leadership and staff assistance in helping craft an agreement-in-principle last week.

The House’s version of the biennial budget was finally approved Sun., April 3, pretty much along straight party lines after two days of marathon debate. It’s really lean…and about $10 billion less than what’s expected to come out of the Senate, so there will need to be a lot of negotiation and compromise if a special session is to be avoided.

Hearings on other bills this week (4/4-8) include: HB 1041, relating to the waiver of sovereign immunity by state agencies for certain claims; HB 1859, loosening the ADA-TAS requirements on facilities owned by religious institutions; HB 2432, setting out the limits and authority for public-private partnerships (P3) as a way to finance certain construction projects; HB 3756, allowing those executing interior design contracts to file a lien for non-payment; SB 5, the comprehensive funding bill for higher education that last week contained an exemption from QBS for institutions of higher learning—language that is gone from this week’s version of the bill as a result of our previous visits; and, Sunset bills for various agencies, including the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs and State Preservation Board.

David Lancaster, Hon. AIA

TSA Senior Manager of Advocacy

Rally to Save Texas History

2011-03-30T13:21:00.014-05:00

Join Preservation Texas and preservationists from around the state to support funding for historic preservation programs. The event will feature Ray Benson from Asleep at the Wheel.

The event will be hosted Thurs., March 31, from 3:45 pm - 5:00 pm, at Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin.

Following the rally, join Preservation Texas at the honor awards reception, the opening event of the Texas Historical Commission’s Annual Historic Preservation Conference. Sheraton Austin, 701 East 11th St., Austin

Preservation Texas is the advocate for preserving the historic resources of Texas.

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, May 1956

2011-03-30T10:30:00.001-05:00

May 1956

Publications Committee Visits Lower Rio Grande Valley

2011-03-29T17:01:00.012-05:00

Brantley Hightower

TSA Publications Committee Chair

In addition to the fulfillment that comes from assisting the staff of Texas Architect in the creation of the magazine, one of the best parts about being on the Publications Committee is the annual retreat.

Normally, the committee meets in Austin once every two months to provide direction on upcoming issues and review the one most recently published, but once a year we take the meeting on the road and take a broader look at the magazine and how better we can serve our readership. Meeting in a place other than Austin provides us with an opportunity to interact with the membership of local chapters and see local projects that we might not otherwise have the opportunity to explore. This year was no exception.

While I had been to “the valley” before, this trip gave me a much better understanding of the diversity of the lower Rio Grande. The committee met on Friday at the Quinta Mazatlan, a Spanish-revival style mansion dating from the 1930s. We stayed nearby in McAllen at the historic Casa de Palmas Hotel, and after our business meeting we had the opportunity to take in the remarkably lively nightlife of the 17th Street District.

KRAIGHER HOUSE

The following day we headed out to Brownsville at the southernmost tip of Texas. Because of its geographic location, the airport in Brownsville was once an important international hub for Pan-American flights to and from South America. In 1936, a Pan Am pilot hired Richard Neutra to design a house for him. In the 70 years that followed the house fell into an increasing state of disrepair, and in 2004 it was listed as one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the “Most Endangered Places." The house was ultimately purchased by the City of Brownsville and restored by the University of Texas Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. The house looks great now and is definitely worth a visit.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE

While in Brownsville, we also explored the city center as well as the university campus. Originally occupying old Fort brown structures, the school has grown into a modern learning institution that still retains the character of its historic past as it develops into the future.

YORK HOUSE

From there we headed west and saw a number of houses by John York and Alan Taniguchi. While both of these midcentury architects would eventually leave the valley (Taniguchi would eventually become the dean of UT’s School of Architecture), they left a compelling built legacy in the valley. We toured a number of single family homes designed by the two both as individuals and in partnership and I think we were all impressed by the skill and efficiency of their designs. We were also impressed by the slenderness of some of their columns – structural engineers seem less likely to allow us to use 2” pipe columns these days.

LA LOMITA

Our day ended in Mission where we visited the World Birding Center and the La Lomita Chapel. The latter was an exceptionally impressive restoration project recently completed by Kell Muñoz. Located in an alluvial plain within view of the Rio Grande, the building has witnessed a vast amount of history despite its miniscule size.

STEPHEN FOX

All of us on the committee would like to thank local architect and hosting Publications Committee Member Mike Allex along with Carmen Pérez García, executive director of the Lower Rio Grande Valley AIA. The tours they organized were a treat and I think I speak for everyone on the retreat when I say I look forward to returning to the valley again. A special thanks is also due to Stephen Fox, whose encyclopedic knowledge of the valley (and of most other places in Texas) truly made this a weekend to remember.

Architecturally Significant

2011-03-28T11:12:00.007-05:00

Local homes built by nationally known architects showcased

March 27, 2011

by, Isaac Garcia

Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — Open spaces, cool colors, structural steel columns and huge expanses of glass were in high praise Saturday afternoon as a group of architects toured some of Harlingen’s most architecturally significant homes.

The tour highlighted homes built by John York and Alan Taniguchi from 1949 to 1953 in a style known as mid-20th century modernism.

The tour, made up of members from the Texas Society of Architects and guided by architectural historian Stephen Fox, started in Brownsville Saturday morning and arrived in Harlingen at noon.

The first stop here was the Wilson R. Palmer House, 1910 South Parkwood St. A York house built in 1950, the house was the subject of praise and marvel as homeowners Nydia Tapia-Gonzales and Lupe Gonzales opened their doors to the group of architects.

Click here to continue reading the article.

Advocacy Update: Week 10

2011-03-25T10:14:00.003-05:00

Yvonne Castillo

TSA General Counsel

The Texas Legislative Session has almost hit the mid-point and only three (3) bills have passed out of the House. Keep in mind that almost 4,000 were filed in the House (not including House Resolutions). This tells me things are about to get really hectic.

This week the House Appropriations Committee reported out of Committee their proposed budget which the Senate immediately identified as "not acceptable," meaning too harsh and in need of more funding. The Senate plans to restore some funding for health services and find an additional $6 billion for public education.

What does this mean to the architectural profession? I'm starting to feel like a broken record but the answer is: we still don't know. A number of bills have been filed that have extremely broad captions relating to "fiscal matters." We're watching them very closely for amendments that could impact state design/construction and/or procurement, as well as any other "funny business" that impacts the architectural profession.

Good news of the week is that we've been successful in stopping two additional legislative proposals that would have authorized bidding of professional services as they relate to higher education. Other good news is that we've made progress on at least one bill that would have expanded the definition of engineering to include design of buildings. It appears that that bill, at least for the moment, is not in play...but there's time and we fully expect we're in this for the long-haul. Next week, we'll be working to support SB 361 which prohibits overly broad indemnification provisions in design and construction contracts. Stay tuned.

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, April 1956

2011-03-23T10:00:00.013-05:00

April 1956

In Texas, a Fight Between Architects and Engineers Goes to the State Capitol

2011-03-23T09:47:00.002-05:00

Fred A. Bernstein

Architect magazine

March 22, 2011

A decades-long battle in Texas over whether engineers can provide architectural services has moved from the courts to the state Legislature.

Under Texas law, engineers can perform design work on projects that fall below certain thresholds: 20,000 square feet for commercial structures, $100,000 for new public buildings. But that isn’t enough for the engineers, who have persuaded allies in the Legislature—including two with engineering backgrounds—to propose laws that would allow engineers to engage in what they call “comprehensive building design.”

The fight has been brewing ever since the Texas Legislature passed a “practice act,” restricting architecture work to architects, in 1990. But some engineers continued doing architecture, and in 2005 and 2006 the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners began enforcement actions. In 2008, the board issued cease-and-desist orders to three engineers it found to be practicing architecture.

Click here to continue reading the article

Advocacy Update: Week 9

2011-03-21T14:48:00.002-05:00

David Lancaster, Hon. AIA
Senior Director of Advocacy

In the week after approximately 1,500 House bills were filed to be within the 60-day deadline, along with another 700 in the Senate, we did a lot of slogging through the glut that occurs trying to fit 10 pounds of stuff into a five-pound bag.

In addition, we covered the Capitol to lobby on high performance building standards legislation (HBs 51 and 775) and ways to reduce liability and defense cost exposure (SB 361), both of which were successful. HB 51 was favorably reported by a unanimous vote of the State Affairs committee and SB 361 passed the Senate 24-7.

We visited a number of offices 1) about the “package” of engineer-driven bills that could adversely affect the practice of architecture, 2) told the sponsor of a bill (HB 2658) that would repeal the Architectural Barriers law that we are opposed to such a draconian proposal, and 3) successfully lobbied a State Representative to stop further consideration of a bill (HB 3676) that would eliminate Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) as the method for selecting design professionals for public projects.

Other anti-QBS language showed up in companion bills related to higher education funding (SB 5 and HB 3517), and we visited both bill sponsors to let them know how strongly we oppose any attempt to exempt institutions of higher education from the QBS law. Look for a Legislative Alert, however, to contact representatives and senators in the event our initial visits don’t produce immediate positive results. (The norm is that compromises are proposed or considered first…but this is an issue for which there can be no compromise, there is no middle ground.)

The week of March 21 will see a number of bills set for hearing, including SB 1048 (up in the Economic Development committee on Wednesday), many of which could impact the availability of public projects being funded over the next biennium. That, and a recently created Senate task force charged with finding approximately $5 billion in non-tax revenues to supplement critical state programs like education and health-human services, could have tremendous impact on business opportunities for Texas architects. We’ll be paying particular attention to the new task force to see if “non-tax” includes “non-fee” revenues, or if taxes and fees are viewed differently.

DCA Traveling Fellowship Presentations

2011-03-15T15:34:00.004-05:00

Traveling Fellowship Presentations

March 23 at 6:00 p.m.

A highlight of the Dallas Center for Architecture Foundation's scholarships is the program of traveling fellowships which enable architecture students and graduates to pursue a research agenda in all corners of the world.

On March 23 at 6:00 p.m., several 2010 Traveling Fellows (Jeremy Babel- Kolb-Berglund Traveling Fellow and John Ritter-Swank Traveling Fellow) will make presentations on their projects at the Dallas Center for Architecture.

Jeremy Babel will present on his travels to Finland and an examination of the architecture of Alvar Aalto and the way Aalto uses detail to connect the human body to architecture and architecture to landscape.

John Ritter will discuss his two weeks in Curitiba, Brazil where he investigated public spaces, the transit system, and the architecture of the city.

To RSVP, please send an e-mail to info@DallasCFA.com.

The application deadline for the 2011 Traveling Fellowships is March 31. For more information and application materials, visit DallasCFA.com and click on the Scholarship link.

Guest Blog: New Accessibility Standards, Part 3

2011-03-15T14:09:00.004-05:00

New Accessibility Standards, Part 3: General Exceptions

by Jeromy G. Murphy, AIA, RAS

The following is a common question that I hear from architects: “Is (fill-in-the-blank) required to be accessible?”

A simple question with a simple default answer: “Yes.”

Unsurprisingly, architects are rarely satisfied with that answer and for good reason, because there are always exceptions. Let’s start at the beginning.

Section 201.1 of the 2010 ADA Standards states the scope and offers a useful advisory:

201.1 Scope. All areas of newly designed and newly constructed buildings and facilities and altered portions of existing buildings and facilities shall comply with these requirements.

Advisory 201.1 Scope. These requirements are to be applied to all areas of a facility unless exempted, or where scoping limits the number of multiple elements required to be accessible. For example, not all medical care patient rooms are required to be accessible; those that are not required to be accessible are not required to comply with these requirements. However, common use and public use spaces such as recovery rooms, examination rooms, and cafeterias are not exempt from these requirements and must be accessible.

The intent is for everything to be accessible unless the Standards specifically say it need not be accessible. For example, in new construction, is a toilet room located within a warehouse required to be accessible if accessible toilets are provided within the office area?

213.2 Toilet Rooms and Bathing Rooms. Where toilet rooms are provided, each toilet room shall comply with 603.
Exceptions:
1. In alterations where it is technically infeasible to comply with 603, altering existing toilet or bathing rooms shall not be required where a single unisex toilet room or bathing room complying with 213.2.1 is provided and located in the same area and on the same floor as existing inaccessible toilet or bathing rooms.
2. Where exceptions for alterations to qualified historic buildings or facilities are permitted by 202.5, no fewer than one toilet room for each sex complying with 603 or one unisex toilet room complying with 213.2.1 shall be provided.
3. Where multiple single user portable toilet or bathing units are clustered at a single location, no more than 5 percent of the toilet units and bathing units at each cluster shall be required to comply with 603. Portable toilet units and bathing units complying with 603 shall be identified by the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with 703.7.2.1.
4. Where multiple single user toilet rooms are clustered at a single location, no more than 50 percent of the single user toilet rooms for each use at each cluster shall be required to comply with 603.

There are no exceptions for warehouse restrooms. If you are looking for the exception for the private office toilet room, you won’t find it in scoping. Instead the 2010 Standards provides a specific exception for each of the fixtures within a private toilet (see section 606.2 Exception 1).

The 2010 Standards include some general exceptions that are similar to the exemptions to the current Texas Accessibility Standards found in Admin Rules 68.30 (68.30).

203 General Exceptions

203.2 Construction Sites.

203.3 Raised Areas. ....security, life safety, or fire safety...

203.4 Limited Access Spaces. ...catwalks, crawl spaces, or very narrow passageways...

203.5 Machinery Spaces. ....mechanical, electrical or communications equipment rooms....

203.6 Single Occupant Structures. ....accessed only by passageways below grade or elevated above standard curb height....

203.7 Detention and Correctional Facilities. Exempts areas that do not serve accessible holding cells.

203.8 Residential Facilities.

203.9 Employee Work Areas. Spaces and elements within employee work areas shall only be required to comply with 206.2.8, 207.1, and 215.3 and shall be designed and constructed so that individuals with disabilities can approach, enter, and exit the employee work area. Employee work areas, or portions of employee work areas, other than raised courtroom stations, that are less than 300 square feet (28 m2) and elevated 7 inches (180 mm) or more above the finish floor or ground where the elevation is essential to the function of the space shall not be required to comply with these requirements or to be on an accessible route.

203.10 Raised Refereeing, Judging, and Scoring Areas.

203.11 Water Slides.

203.12 Animal Containment Areas.

203.13 Raised Boxing or Wrestling Rings.

203.14 Raised Diving Boards and Diving Platforms.

When in doubt, design for access.

To hear the latest from TDLR, subscribe to the TDLR List Server

http://www.license.state.tx.us/newsletters/TDLRnotificationLists.asp

And check back here to learn more about the upcoming changes.

Jeromy G. Murphy, AIA, RAS

jeromymurphy.wordpress.com

jmurphy@acico.com

AIA Austin Hosts Photography Exhibit

2011-03-14T12:17:00.001-05:00

For more information, visit www.aiaaustin.org.

Architecture for Humanity at SXSW 2011

2011-03-11T14:59:00.002-06:00

2010 TSA President Heather McKinney, FAIA, with Architecture for Humanity co-founder Cameron Sinclair during the TSA Convention in San Antonio, October 2010. Architecture for Humanity is a volunteer nonprofit organization set up to promote architecture and design to seek solutions to global social and humanitarian crisis.

Cameron Sinclair speaks to a standing-room only crowd in San Antonio.

Last October during TSA's convention in San Antonio, Cameron Sinclair of the nonprofit design services firm Architecture for Humanity, spoke about his organization's efforts throughout the world to build a more sustainable future through the power of professional design. With today's somber news of the 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan, Architecture for Humanity's mission has been underscored. Below is a message posted by Sinclair on his organization's Web site.

"A massive 8.9 quake has struck off the coast of Japan. The effects could be felt as far away as Beijing and a tsunami with 33ft waves has devastated the Japanese coastline. 4M people are without power and over 1000 people are feared dead.

The chapter members from Osaka and Kyoto are keeping us updated on this current disaster. Please follow us on twitter at @archforhumanity or Osaka chapter organizer Kana Kondo at @koncham

Our thoughts are with those in the region right now and we will announce on Monday what action we will be taking."

Architecture for Humanity is participating in Austin's annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals beginning today through March 20, 2011.

Architecture for Humanity on Frontline/The World 2008

Advocacy Update: Week 8

2011-03-11T14:18:00.002-06:00

Yvonne Castillo

TSA General Counsel

This week was about engineers filing numerous bills to expand their business opportunities to include architecture. It’s not enough that engineers are authorized to prepare mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil plans and specifications for buildings…they want it all, and are pushing very hard to change the law to give them the authority to prepare architectural plans for public buildings. It’s shameful really, but we have a plan that we’ve already implemented and we’ll be calling on all of you to help us implement it further at the grassroots level when appropriate. The architectural community should take note that the favorable Travis County District opinion has ramped up the engineers’ efforts in this regard.

We also spent a great deal of time negotiating with roofing contractors and others on the alternative project delivery bill that was simply intended to consolidate alternative project delivery methods. Everyone has come out of the woodwork this Session on this bill (despite its successful passage for two legislative sessions) and it’s looking like the bill is going to be boiled down to a very basic version.

Lastly, we supported a couple of bills: HB 611 that prohibits state agencies from using their own staff to provide “commercially available” architectural or engineering services on projects they do not own and HB 51 that promotes high performance standards for schools and state agencies.

Greenest Homes Are Those Near Public Transit

2011-03-07T15:47:00.004-06:00

by Wendy Koch
USA Today

Homes near transit use less energy overall than those in conventional suburbs, according to a new study released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Location, location, location -- it's a well-worn mantra in real estate. New research shows yet another reason why it's important: it decides how green a home really is. Housing near public transportation uses less energy than homes in the suburbs, even Energy Star-rated ones.

That's the finding of a study released this week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which supported the data analysis. The EPA says location is vital because buildings and transportation together account for about 70% of U.S. energy use and 62% of its greenhouse gas emissions.

Click here to read the article.

The Future for Architects? Who Will Design Our Buildings in 2025?

2011-03-05T13:29:00.002-06:00

from www.buildingfutures.org.uk

NEW STUDY INTO THE FUTURE OF PRACTICE

Authors: Dickon Robinson, Chair Building Futures; Claire Jamieson, Building Futures; John Worthington, DEGW; Caroline Cole, Colander.

Click here to download the report.

In this study, Building Futures sets out to explore the future role of architects, asking: who will design our buildings in 2025; what roles will those trained in architecture be doing then; and how will architectural practice have changed as a result? Through a series of one-to-one interviews and round table sessions the study aims to examine the breadth of those who shape the built environment: including traditional architects and those working in expanded fields of practice, as well as clients, consultants and contractors. The resulting speculations should be an opportunity for discussion and interrogation- an exploration of the imminent changes likely to affect the industry over the next 15 years.

Advocacy Update: Week 7

2011-03-05T13:14:00.004-06:00

David Lancaster, Hon. AIA
TSA Senior Director of Advocacy

The current major issues of legislative focus are all “red meat” topics like abortion, voter ID, and immigration reform. They are extremely partisan, and there are two theories of how dealing with such topics now will ultimately affect the session:

1. They will either satisfy the needs of legislators for voting on hot-button issues (thought to be especially important to recently elected, Tea Party-backed members), thus freeing them to be more reasonable on more critical issues—especially the budget—that are to follow; OR

2. They will create complete, not-to-be-healed acrimony and split the House so badly that nothing will get done the rest of the session, and lead to multiple Special Sessions.

One particular interesting thing that caught my attention this past week, however, is Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville), a leading conservative Republican, recently said that the state will need to spend most of the Rainy Day Fund this session to deal responsibly with the budget shortfall and the Legislature will need to raise taxes, not just to generate more revenue, but to provide more equity on service taxes, which I’ll paraphrase as “cutting grass vs. cutting hair.” His example, which stayed away from taxing professional services (I should mention, coincidentally, that he is a physician), was to say the company that he has contracted to maintain his lawn collects sales tax for that service while the woman who cuts his hair doesn’t.

So what does this have to do with you or your practice? Not that much, although when someone with the conservative Republican props like Senator Deuell says we need to look at taxes, especially taxes on services, we all need to pay extra attention. Here are some of the bills or specific activities of impact/interest to architects and architecture that staff and lobbyists were busy with this week—

HB 51—High Performance Standards for K-12 facilities….had a State Affairs committee hearing on Wednesday. We were there in support and continue to assist actively as requested.

HB 628—Alternative Project Delivery and Public Contracting Procurement…was heard Thursday by the Government Reform committee. Again, we were there in active support because it’s one of our priority initiatives, along with High Performance Building bills.

HB 362 and 450—Regulation of Solar Panels by Home-Owner Associations…had their first Business & Industry committee review. Everyone seems to love the concept of solar energy and energy conservation, but legislators are sensitive to anything “ugly” that would reduce residential or community property values. SB 238 enjoyed a similar reaction with the Intergovernmental Relations committee across the rotunda on Wednesday.

HB 611—Provision of certain professional services…would limit public entities from providing design and construction services except on projects they own or have a shared interest ion. We offered the bill’s author an amendment for some “Except project management” language that might be misinterpreted or, worse, misused by a public entity looking for non-tax revenue.

Some interesting bills that were filed this week include—

HB1618—a Sunset Review bill…but one that appears to be a possible vessel for legislative “mischief”—if someone wanted to try something sneaky. At the least, one can’t help but read this as anything but a shot at one agency in particular, the Board of Architectural Examiners.

HB1876—Fire sprinklers in 1-2 family residences, the ubiquitous question of balance between safety-financial-maintenance liability concerns.

SB 1048—Public-Private Partnerships…viewed as a potential (and based on the current budget situation, an increasingly popular) source for funding capital projects. This large, complex bill was reported yesterday and will take time to digest, and the Government Affairs Steering Committee knows it must carefully consider a multitude of facets if we are to avoid potential unintended consequences.

And, finally, negotiations on the A/E issue are progressing, with our next meeting likely to be Monday. The situation is extremely fluid…so stayed tuned on a daily basis.

UT Austin Hosts Symposium: LATITUD3S

2011-03-03T14:19:00.004-06:00

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture hosts "LATITUD3S," a two-day symposium reflecting on Architecture in the Americas. March 31 + April 1, 2011. Mebane Gallery in Goldsmith Hall.

Speakers:

Mauricio Pezo
Sofia Von Ellrichshausen
Mónica Bertolino
Carla Juacaba
Daniel Bonilla
Mauricio Rocha
Charles Renfro
Pat Hanson
Patricia Patkau

For more information, click here.

RDA Grants Program:Initiatives for Houston 2011

2011-03-03T13:07:00.003-06:00

Rice Design Alliance announces its twelfth annual grants program for students and faculty of the Rice School of Architecture, the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, the College of Architecture at Prairie View, and the Department of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University.

RDA will make separate awards of up to $5,000 each to a student and a faculty winners.

The Initiatives for Houston grants program focuses on Houston’s built environment, its history, present condition, and future development. A variety of regional projects will be considered, including historic research, speculative studies and projects, problem solving and planning projects, and studies that document the conditions of the city and its architecture. Proposals will be evaluated in terms of their potential for making a significant contribution to our understanding of the city and/or the region.

More information can be found here.

Applications are due by March 25, 2011.

Dallas Center for Architecture Launches New Program

2011-03-01T16:42:00.003-06:00

DCFA Launches New Program
An Appetite for Architecture: Dallas Fish Market
Thursday, March 3 at 6:00 p.m.

Presented in partnership by the Dallas Center for Architecture and Savor Dallas, An Appetite for Architecture explores restaurant spaces and the connections between food and design. Several times a year, we'll gather in an architecturally significant restaurant for food and drink and to hear from the architects/designers of the space and the chefs who inhabit them.

Our first edition will be at Dallas Fish Market, located in the architecturally significant Kirby Building on Main Street in downtown Dallas. We'll hear from the architects from 5gStudio on their recent work to renovate the space...with special attention to the challenges presented by a landmarked building. Dallas Fish Market founder and DRG Concepts president and developer Mike Hoque is focused on Downtown Dallas and on Main Street. He will also join the conversation and discuss how they worked with the architect to create a space that is functional for the staff and welcoming to guests.

We'll kick things off at 6:00 p.m. with a glass of wine and appetizers, then begin the discussion at 6:30 p.m. We hope you'll join us!

$25 per person. Register here.

Advocacy Update: Week 6

2011-02-25T15:52:00.001-06:00

by Yvonne Castillo

TSA General Counsel

This week, we covered a variety of legislative issues. We met with stakeholders in high performance design and construction legislation to discuss refining the legislation to make it as fiscally neutral as possible, given the state budget deficit. We also spent some time negotiating on the language in HB 958, by Representative Workman, which would have increased liability exposure for architects in favor of contractors. In the end, we persuaded the sponsor, who was very gracious, to amend the bill to make the outcome equitable for architects. HB 611, by Representative Murphy, proposes to keep state government from competing with the private sector; great bill – but some substitute language was included that created questions for us about the possibility of any steps backwards for architects who provide “project management services.” It appears we’ve got a solution to this issue through legislative intent.

Lastly, this week, a good bit of brainpower and legwork at the Capitol was spent working with key leadership and lobbyists on the continued negotiations with engineers. We’re hopeful for a positive outcome and pleased to see some progress. Bills continue to be filed at a frantic pace, TSA now has 151 bills on its bill track for monitoring.