2011 Service Award Winners Announced

The AIA New Jersey 2011 Service Award Winners were selected during the Tri-State Regional Design Conference, and are as follows. The presentation of the awards will be at the Awards Dinner, January 7, 2012, at The Waterside, North Bergen, NJ. For more information about the Awards Dinner please click here. Congratulations to all the winners.

The AIA NJ Architect of the Year Award
Jason Kliwinski, AIA

The AIA NJ Firm of the Year Award
Arcari + Iovino Architects, PC

The AIA NJ Young Architect of the Year Award
Benjamin G. Walmer, AIA

The AIA NJ Intern Architect of the Year Award
Clair Wholean, Assoc. AIA

The AIA NJ Distinguished Service Award
Verity L. Frizzell, AIA

The AIA NJ Resident of the Year Award
Lawrence Powers, Esq.

AIA New Jersey Guidebook: 150 Best Buildings and Places

AIA-NJ Guidebook

Bernardsville, New Jersey, 24 October 2011 – Philip S. Kennedy-Grant, FAIA has edited and co-authored AIA New Jersey Guidebook: 150 Best Buildings and Places, published by Rutgers University Press this month.

In 2007 the national organization of the American Institute of Architects celebrated 150 years.  The New Jersey Chapter decided to honor this milestone by creating a list of the 150 best examples of architecture in this state.  A committee was established to oversee the project, and the nearly 2,000 members of AIA New Jersey were asked to submit their suggestions for the list.  Once this list was compiled, the leadership determined it should be published in book form.  Mr. Kennedy-Grant, chairman of the editorial board for nine years of Architecture New Jersey, a former publication of AIA New Jersey, was tapped to undertake the book project.

Mr. Kennedy-Grant in turn asked two distinguished architects/architectural historians, Mark Alan Hewitt, FAIA of Bernardsville and Michael J. Mills, FAIA of Princeton, to assist with writing informative text about the 150 locations. Sandy Noble, also from Bernardsville, was selected as the photographer, responsible for new images of all 150 sites. Internationally renowned New Jersey architect Michael Graves, FAIA has written the foreword, with Karen Nichols, FAIA.

AIA New Jersey Guidebook: 150 Best Buildings and Places (Paper $29.95, October 2011, 978-0-8135-5126-5) reveals the state’s rich architectural legacy and the eclectic mix of periods and styles that make it unique. Only in New Jersey can you find the cradle of America’s industrial revolution, stately Victorian inns, and distinctive “Doo Wop style” motels. The volume includes both justly renowned buildings and hidden architectural gems. The book’s authors give equal attention to the works of such modern masters as Louis Kahn and Frank Lloyd Wright and to the ballparks and diners that give the Garden State its local flavor. Stunning color photographs capture the beauty of New Jersey’s architectural heritage. Thorough descriptions of each building explain its historical significance and architectural features in clear, direct language.

Compact and organized by region, the AIA New Jersey Guidebook is a wonderful traveling companion for road trips across the state or sightseeing day trips. Start your tour of the Garden State today!

Book Signing:

Please join Messrs. Kennedy-Grant, Hewitt, and Mills at The Bookworm, 99 Claremont Road, Bernardsville, for a book signing on Saturday, 5 November 2011, 2:00-3:30 p.m.

Lectures:

On Thursday, 1 December at 7:00 p.m. at the Princeton Public Library, and

On Wednesday, 7 December at 7:00 p.m. at the Bernardsville Public Library,

Mr. Kennedy-Grant will present lectures, in which he will show examples from the book and discuss what these buildings reveal about both our culture and ourselves.

www.kennedygrantarchitecture.com

2012 Awards Dinner

AIA New Jersey invites all  to celebrate with us at the 2012 Awards Dinner

Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Waterside, North Bergen, NJ

More information on www.aia-nj.org

Sponsorships and Ads in Awards Journal available
Tickets: $150 per person

Service Design Winners Invite 2012

Click for more information

ENFORCEMENT OF LICENSING LAWS- 2

By Jerome Leslie Eben, AIA
AIA NJ Regional Director ’11-‘13

In July, I spelled out the reasons why we need the New Jersey State Board of Architects to be the enforcement agency of the practice of OUR profession. I outlined within that article the absolute need for the Board to complete proper investigations of the complaints that only a few of us have filed and to do so in a timely matter.

Finally in late September I received a letter from the Board’s acting Executive Director addressed without the benefit of the title AIA or even RA after my name, a title that I worked hard to earn and certainly am extremely proud of. The letter came with their findings of complaint No. 72609. While the State Board found the proprietor of the firm guilty of practicing OUR profession in an illegal manner, I am absolutely not convinced that this single finding will end the illegal practice of architecture here in New Jersey. It seems that the illegal practice of OUR profession will continue to go on without much challenge by the State Board of Architects.

In addition, and in my opinion, despite their protracted and very incomplete investigation, others who helped this individual practice OUR profession without a license, were not investigated at all and more than likely will continue to break the law. The question has to be put to the State Board as to why they would ignore what I clearly pointed out in my complaint that this individual had to have been aided by those who are in fact licensed architects!

Since the individual found guilty of the illegal practice of OUR profession mentioned that he used the services of licensed architects in New York and in Pennsylvania, I have filed a complaint with the New York State Board of Architects, to see how they will investigate and treat this case. I will be filing a complaint with the Pennsylvania State Board of Architects as well.

Nationally the AIA position statement #15 supports the strict enforcement of architectural licensing laws by the jurisdictions and recommends that penalties be assessed for incompetent or improper practice by licensees. It also recommends that the unlicensed practice of our profession must be vigorously prosecuted with assessed penalties and injunctions.

In my article of a few months ago and again here I am strongly stressing the need for you the AIANJ member and want to encourage each of you to file complaints. Do not to think that someone else will do it for you! This is OUR profession and despite the frustrations I and others have found with the New Jersey State Board of architects, PLEASE take the time (less than 5 minutes) to fill out the complaint form and send it to the New Jersey State Board of Architects.

Thank you,
Jerry
jebenaia@aol.com

ENERGY: AIA-NJ/NJIT Symposium

ENERGY is the fourth annual AIANJ symposium at that College of Architecture and Design at NJIT. Since 2007, AIANJ has provided support for an annual symposium and Endowed Lecture. Past symposia have engaged issues such as building information modeling, parametric design, and post-occupancy. Previous Endowed Lecturers have included Daniel Libeskind, Bernard Tschumi, Stephen Kieran, and Thom Mayne. Symposia are published annually in the Conversations in Practice book series by the college.

ENERGY will continue these discussions on the contemporary state of architectural practice by bringing together academics, architects, engineers, lobbyists, and sustainable technicians. We hope you will join us in Newark at Weston Lecture Hall 1 on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 2:15 pm. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP to Samanthea Jones at (973) 596-3080. Admission is free and carries 4 AIA/CES credits to licensed architects.

Photography Competition Voting

AIA-WJ 2010 Best Overall award winner by Peter Kubilus - Westside Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, NJ (Designed by Newman Architects)

Vote for your favorite image in the AIA West Jersey 6th Annual Photography Competition.

There are lots of great photos this year in the finalists list, your votes will help choose the competitions top award winners, and the final top 13 images that will make the 2012 AIA-WJ Calendar.

Please go to the following website to vote for the one you think is the Best Overall photo and which one should make the cover of our printed calendar.

Only one vote per person –

A click on any picture will cast your vote so click carefully –

If you want to view all finalist images in a full screen slideshow go to our Flickr site,

If you are a Flickr user feel free to mark any of the entries as “Favorites” – only one vote is allowed on the main voting page but on Flickr you can have as many Favorites as you like!

Voting will be open until October 29, 2011

Thanks to the 2011 juror’s who narrowed all of the entries to the top finalists that are included in this round of voting:

Robert Bennett, AIA  –  2009 Best Overall Awardee

Peter Kubilus  –  2010 Best Overall Awardee

William Cohen, AIA  –  2010 AIA-WJ President

David Lummis, AIA  –  AIA-WJ Past President

Please share the word with your friends and family, we encourage everyone to vote.

– AIA West Jersey

Safe Building Code Incentive Act – H.R. 2069

In the wake of the recent natural disasters, Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Albio Sires (D-N.J.) have introduced the Safe Building Code Incentive Act, encouraging states to voluntarily adopt and enforce model national building codes for the construction of new residential and commercial properties in order to save billions of dollars in disaster relief.

Fortunately, since the 1970’s the State of New Jersey has employed the use of model national building codes. The current adopted codes and standards include: the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Residential Code (IRC), the National Electric Code (NEC), the National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC), the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the International Mechanical Code (IMC), ICC/ANSI A117.1 Accessible and Usable Building and Facilities, and a host of others.

Through its policies, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) supports regulation by a single set of comprehensive, coordinated, and contemporary codes and standards, which establish sound threshold values of health, safety, and the protection of the public welfare throughout the United States. To that end, the AIA espouses the development and adoption of model building codes that:
• Include participation by architects and the public in a consensus process;
• Are the product of informed education and research;
• Are without favoritism or bias to any special interest;
• Include provision for a prompt appeals procedure for all that might be aggrieved;
• Are cost-effective in relation to public benefit; and
• Promote building code provisions that set performance rather than prescriptive criteria.

Therefore, it is heartening to see this move toward a more uniform national application of this policy through the proposed Safe Building Code Incentive Act. We at AIA New Jersey hope that through our leadership, New Jersey will be looked upon as a model for other states to emulate.

For the full text of an OpEd about this proposed legislation, please click here.

13th Annual CANstruction Event To Be Held At Livingston Mall

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ Newark and Suburban section, has announced that CANstruction, its annual design exhibition and contest to benefit community food programs, will be held this year at the Livingston Mall, in Livingston, N.J.

The New Jersey exhibition is part of a national AIA-sponsored CANstruction event in which teams of architects, engineers and students mentored by these professionals compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food.  The structures take 8 to 12 weeks and thousands of cans to create.

The structures will be built during an eight-hour “Build Day” on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, and will be on display throughout the mall.

The event gives architects the opportunity to display their talents while also serving as a benefit for the hungry.  Following the exhibitions, the immense 10’ x 10’ x 8’ high structures are dismantled and all of the canned food is donated to charity.  The theme of this year’s competition is “World Famous.”

The design competition is held under the auspices of the Society for Design Administration (SDA), an affiliate of the national AIA organization.  This will be the 13^th year for the design competition in New Jersey, which in recent years has been held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

In New Jersey, the food is donated to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) for distribution to community food programs.

Last year, CANstruction raised over 45,000 pounds of food and over $1,700 in cash donations.  CANstruction is the CFBNJ’s largest and most successful event, said Tim Vogel, director of food sourcing for the food bank.

CFBNJ distributes more than 37 million pounds of food and groceries a year, ultimately serving 1,656 non-profit programs including 436 programs served by its partner distribution organizations. Through their combined efforts, they assist more than 900,000 people in 18 New Jersey counties.

Last year, the juror’s favorite design, entitled “Newark City Subway 1954-2001” took the form of an iconic subway car — both inside and out.  Other winning teams included a giant Facebook logo and mouse pad entitled “Upload Education, Download Hunger” and a bouncing basketball scene known as “Bounding Cans to Hungry Hands.”

Since the inception of CANstruction over 10 million pounds of food has been donated to aid in the fight against hunger. Initiated by the Denver, Seattle and New York chapters of the SDA in 1992-1993, CANstruction now has more than 130 individual competitions scheduled to take place during the 2010/2011 cycle.

For more information on the event, contact Christy DiBartolo at 973-290-8544.

DVSGA to Tour Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, Philadelphia

Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance hosts

The Salvation Army – Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center Tour and Program

Join us for a networking event and educational tour of the recently completed Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. Where: The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps 4200 Wissahickon Ave Philadelphia, PA Event Schedule 4:30 Registration 5:00 Presentation 5:30 Concurrent site and building tours 6:45 Discussion and refreshments A first step in the social, economic, and environmental revitalization of one of Philadelphia’s most blighted industrial areas, the $72 million, 130,000 SF Salvation Army facility features a conference and training center, aquatic center, and a variety of programming to serve both families and individuals. The site, a 12 acre brownfield tract, was the former home of Budd Co., the proposed site for a casino, and, most recently, a city auto impound lot. Amy Stein and Christopher Mendel will lead guided tours for all attendees of both the building and the site, addressing your specific questions and offering a behind-the-scenes look at this amazing new community center. Registration Fees: $45 through 9/30/11; Early Registration extended to Friday 10/7/2011 for AIA members $60 after 9/30/11 10/7/2011. Space is limited, and we expect the event to sell out – please register early! Speakers Amy Stein, AIA, LEED AP, , senior landscape architect, Andropogon Associates. associate, MGA Partners. Experienced in architecture and planning, Amy has completed over $900 million in constructed projects and masterplans for educational, federal and public buildings. Christopher Mendel, ASLA Experienced in a systems-based approach to landscape design and natural resource management, Christopher’s skills have been applied to large urban brownfields, urban waterfront parks, city master planning and rural campus planning. Please click on the link below to register!

Get more information Register Now!

AIA -WJ 2011 Solar Decathlon Trip

AIA members attended 2011 Solar Decathlon in Washington DC

AIA West Jersey hosted a trip to the National Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, DC on Saturday October 1^st.  Twenty AIA members from West Jersey, South, Shore and Newark/Suburban along with spouses and friends made the trip to the site of this year’s U S Dept. of Energy 2011 Solar Decathlon. It is an award winning program that challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar powered houses. The winner of the competition is the one that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. This year’s overall winner was the University of Maryland. Each structure, between 600-1000 sq. ft., must be transported for assembly to Washington, DC.

Although the weather did not completely cooperate with rain, wind temperatures in the 50’s it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the group and AIA WJ is hoping to repeat the trip to the next Solar Decathlon in 2013.

To learn more about the Solar Decathlon event, and see information on this years entries and winners go to  solardecathlon.gov