Texas Society of Architects Retires Blog in Favor of Redesigned Website

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

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

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!

January 1957

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, December 1956

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!

December 1956

Jeff Johnson Comic Series, November 1956

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!

November 1956

AIA Fort Worth: 2011 Design Awards

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

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

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

(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

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

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!

October 1956

Join Us at the 2011 Convention

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

September 1956

13 Recipients Selected for Texas Architects Honor Awards

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