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AIA: Congressional Testimony Underscores Dire Credit Climate Facing Architects |
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Wednesday, 19 May 2010 06:51 |
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"Congress Must Pass Legislation That Would Loosen Financing."
The major issue facing America’s architectural profession continues to be the lack of access to financing even as the rest of the economy signals a recovery, one Baltimore architect testified today before the House Financial Services Committee.
Jim Determan, AIA, an architect with Hord Coplan Macht of Baltimore, Maryland, and a former board member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), told lawmakers how the credit crunch in late 2008 contributed to the demise of his prior firm, CSD Architects. As lenders broadly refused credit to the design and construction industry, many CSD projects came to a halt.
In Determan’s case, he and his partners were left with no choice but to close their 60 year-old firm that had successfully weathered previous recessions. As a result, more than 100 people – many of whom had been with the firm more than 30 years - lost their jobs.
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AIA Report: Revamping Tax Code Key to Making Livable Communities A Bigger Reality |
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Wednesday, 19 May 2010 06:45 |
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"The challenge to making livable communities a reality lies in convincing policy makers to revamp a complex tax code that encourages sprawl and traffic congestion at the expense of “walkable,” mixed-use development and mass transit."
That is the primary conclusion of a report issued Monday by the American Institute of Architects and partnering organizations at the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Financing Forum, which will bring together national housing, development, public and private finance, transportation practitioners and policy leaders to discuss the complexities of financing TOD. The forum is being held at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center and will also highlight the opportunity for federal transportation reform and encourage connections and linkages for accelerating the development of TOD.
“Unfortunately, the tax credits and federal financing tools that affect the built environment do so in ways that frequently conflict with livability principles,” the report states. “On balance, federal policy is much more consistent with single-use development that is characteristic of sprawl at the edges of our communities.”
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AIA's 2010 Housing Awards |
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Tuesday, 04 May 2010 12:30 |
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The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the 18 recipients of the 2010 Housing Awards. The AIA’s Housing Awards Program, now in its tenth year, was established to recognize the best in housing design and promote the importance of good housing as a necessity of life, a sanctuary for the human spirit and a valuable national resource.
The jury for the 2010 Housing Awards includes: Andrew V. Porth (chair), AIA, Porth Architects, Inc.; Jane Kolleeny, Architectural Record and GreenSource; Natalye Appel, FAIA, Natalye Appel + Associates Architects; Geoffrey Goldberg, AIA, G. Goldberg and Associates, and Grace Kim, AIA, Schemata Workshop.
The jury recognized projects in four award categories: One/Two Family Custom Housing, One/Two Family Production Housing, Multifamily Housing, and Special Housing.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 04 May 2010 14:10 |
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AIA: Climate Bill or Not, Congress Can Still Act on Green Jobs and Energy Independence |
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Friday, 30 April 2010 13:58 |
In the wake of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Congress finds itself struggling for ways to help make green jobs a reality and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.
Meanwhile, already-introduced legislation that is waiting for action can help create or preserve a total of as many as 390,000 green jobs, AIA estimates. Clearly, Congress already has what it needs to fulfill that goal.
“A number of bills have been introduced this session that command broad bipartisan support and could help create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the design and construction industries - and go a long way toward curbing energy use,” said AIA President George H. Miller, FAIA. “Congress has the tools at its disposal to pass such legislation; it just needs to use them.”
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AIA Commends Financial Services Committee for “Earth Day” Vote on GREEN Act |
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Thursday, 22 April 2010 12:55 |
AIA Estimates Bill Creates 140,000 Building Sector Jobs Annually
The American Institute of Architects today commended the House Financial Services Committee for moving the Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods (GREEN) Act out of Committee. H.R. 2336 is now headed for a floor vote.
“As the United States struggles with a sagging housing market and rising energy prices, now is the time to encourage investments that promote energy independence, grow the economy, and save American homeowners money,’ said AIA President George H. Miller, FAIA. “By including incentives for energy efficiency into lending and housing programs, the GREEN Act is the sort of innovative and common-sense approach we need to spark our economy while saving energy.
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AIA: Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Christine McEntee departs AIA to lead American Geophysical Union |
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Monday, 19 April 2010 14:46 |
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The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced today that Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Christine McEntee will leave the Institute July 23, 2010 to become Executive Director of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), an international non-profit scientific association dedicated to furthering the sciences of geophysics through individual efforts and in cooperation with other scientific organizations.
McEntee leads a staff of seasoned professionals who capably manage the AIA’s daily operations and who, along with McEntee, will assist the elected leadership of the AIA during the transition to a new executive. A search committee working under the guidance of the AIA Board Executive Committee will be formed, with a national search for candidates to be conducted by an executive search firm. McEntee will work closely with the AIA leadership and staff to ensure a smooth transition.
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