Fellow Seminars in April

AIA-NJ is offering a series of seminars will take place at the beginning of April to discuss the process of applying for Fellowship.   Allan Kehrt FAIA,who served on the AIA Jury of Fellows from 2008 to 2010 will lead each seminar and will answer questions with regard the process, the jury, and the submission itself.

All individuals who are considering applying for Fellowship either now or in the future are urged to attend.

There will be three seminars as follows:

Date: Location:

• April 9, 2013 at 5:00 pm: The office of Clarke Caton Hintz

100 Barrack Street

Trenton, New Jersey

609-883-8383

•  CANCELLED – April 10, 2013 at 5:00 pm: The office of The Bannett Group

Cherry Hill, New Jersey

856-751-8800

• April 11, 2013 at 5:00 pm: New Jersey Institute of Technology

AIA Room, School of Architecture

Newark, New Jersey

973-596-3079

Questions please feel free to contact –

Allan Kehrt FAIA cell: 609-240-1364

or    akehrt@kssarchitects.com

Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan – Update 3/13/2013

The Christie Administration unveiled its proposed Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan, which outlines how the State plans to utilize $1,829,520,000 in federal funding.

Excerpts are below – Read the full article with this link to the state site:  http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/552013/approved/20130312c.html

Helping Families Return To Their Homes:

Assisting homeowners in the reconstruction, rehabilitation, and elevation of their homes and helping them prepare for future storms is a top priority of the Christie Administration’s rebuilding efforts. Superstorm Sandy caused an estimated $3.837 billion in damage to houses and apartments throughout the state, with over 86,700 units impacted. The Administration’s Plan proposes a variety of programs to meet the needs of displaced homeowners and renters whose primary residences were damaged by the storm.

Supporting Economic Recovery and Revitalization:

Economic recovery and revitalization is also a top priority of the Action Plan to restore communities and promote job growth. Businesses in the 113 municipalities most impacted by Superstorm Sandy incurred $382 million in commercial property loss and another $63.9 million in business interruption losses.   To help New Jersey businesses, the Christie Administration is setting aside $500 million in funding for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to administer.

Assisting Local Governments And Property Taxpayers:

While the housing and economic sectors are the central focus of this first allocation of CDBG Disaster Recovery funding, the Christie Administration also proposes to use funds to help local governments provide essential services after incurring unanticipated expenses caused by the storm that are not reimbursed by FEMA. The Action Plan proposes to allocate $116 million in funds.

Providing For New Jersey’s Most Vulnerable Citizens And Protecting Shore Communities:

Governor Christie is committed to helping low-to-moderate income families as well as vulnerable populations recover from Sandy. The Christie Administration is proposing a range of rental housing activities designed to replenish rental housing stock lost to Sandy, rehabilitate affordable rental units left uninhabitable by Sandy, and provide affordable housing for special needs populations.

The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency will administer rental housing and homebuyer assistance programs, which would be funded by at least $154 million. It is estimated the Action Plan’s rental development and rehabilitation programs will create 3,000 jobs and $500 million in economic activity.

 

Read more details on this plan

Here is the link to the site:  http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/552013/approved/20130312c.html

Message From AIA-NJ Fellows Chair

Dear AIANJ members,

Over the past two years AIA New Jersey has had no one elevated to the AIA College of Fellows. As New Jersey’s new Regional Representative to the College, I’d like to initiate an effort to change that this coming year. As we all know there are many extraordinary AIANJ members who have contributed significantly to the profession for whom Fellowship would be a wonderful reflection of their achievements.

I had the extraordinary experience of serving on the AIA Jury of Fellows from 2008 through 2010, when I served as Chair. This is the seven member jury that reviews Fellowship submissions and is responsible for making the final elevation decisions. While more work than I could possibly have imagined at the start, it was one of the most intense and humbling experiences of my life. It left me with a sense of awe at what individuals within our profession are accomplishing. The AIA Jury of Fellows was the most well run, professional and fair process of selection than I could ever have imagined. After reviewing 660 submissions over the three years, it also left me with a deep understanding of the jury process, how it works, and what sort of submissions succeed. There are many individuals within our state who are deserving of this honor, we simply need to find them and assist them in their submissions.

To begin this effort I am going to put together a series of three identical seminars at regional locations around the state; it looks now that they will occur at the beginning of April. The seminars will be to meet potential candidates, help explain the process, discuss approaches and strategize how to work with them as they complete their applications. As the seminar times and ocations are finalized, they will be posted on the AIANJ website with additional information.

I am currently reaching out to other AIA Fellows in the state to both identify and help candidates with their applications. Please begin thinking about who might be a potential candidate.

Thank you.

Allan Kehrt FAIA 

The Deep Foundation/V-Zone Engineering & Design Seminar

Spring Break 2013 – Sandy Relief

Dear AIA Members,

NJIT’s Alternative Spring Break is March 16-24, 2013. We are coordinating efforts of other colleges and universities, too, so we can direct volunteers to organizations during March and April.

To volunteer, please register on our website:  https://njit-csm.symplicity.com/surveys/Sandy. Attached is a flyer on the Kick-Off Sessions as well as other information on the program. We are starting to make assignments, so we need registrations ASAP.

 

Thank you

View PDF of flyer –  Sandy_springbreak2013

Opportunity for NJ Architects in Sandy Recovery

From our friends at Downtown New Jersey:

Positions with The Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination Group The Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination Group has a number of positions available in conjunction with Sandy recovery. Positions include the following: Architect, Community Capacity Building, Economic Development Coordinator, Community Planner, Engineer. Click here for a copy of the employment flyer. While we wanted to get the word out about the positions quickly, we are also aware that there have been glitches in working with the web site referred to in the flyer. As updated contact information becomes available, we will keep you informed.

Informative Seminar IDP and ARE Seminar Held at NJIT

On February 14, 2013, AIA NJ and NJIT Career Development Services, with the help of Jane Gaertner, hosted the IDP and ARE Seminar at NJIT. On this Valentine’s Day, several involved and concerned groups came together to ignite the passion of profession of architecture by educating, and creating a drive for our emerging professionals as they embark on their road to licensure.

The event was well attended by students, post-graduates and architects. Moderator  and NJ Intern Development Coordinator, Ashton Quintin  Jr., Assoc. AIA,  introduced the panel members which included Robert Ivy, FAIA, Executive VP and CEO of AIA,  Michael Soriano, AIA President of the New Jersey State Board of Architects,  Jerome L. Eben, AIA, AIANJ Regional Director and Director on the National Board and Michael Armstrong, CEO of NCARB.  Guest speakers included Joseph Abello from the NJ State Board of Architects and Martin Smith, AIA, Manager for the Intern Development Program. NJIT CoAD AIAS Chapter provided the manpower to run the event and AIA Newark and Suburban Architects and AIANJ provided the refreshments.

The panel provided keen professional advice to the numerous of questions asked, while also inserting their own experiences into their discussions, making the event feel more personal to the audience.  Mr. Armstrong stated that as students graduate they will find a field of acronyms B.Arch, NCARB, A.R.E., LEED, AIA, USGBC, PP, CSI, etc..  He explained that each acronym has a meaning that you the student will soon become familiar with in regard to specific standards and requirements of becoming an architect. The event specifically focused on the IDP and A.R.E. requirements as many of the attendees were just beginning the process in this their early careers.  Mr. Smith’s presentation about NCARB made many students aware of their general requirements to complete their internships and Mr. Abello’s presentation discussed numerous legal obligations and the law that all architects must follow.

As the Regional Associate Director for NJ, Jason Peist, Assoc. AIA reiterated the importance of AIA to those who may not know its purpose or value. For emerging professionals, AIA is not only an obvious choice for those seeking work, but also those who are seeking insight, importance and mentorship. IDP provides preliminary guidelines for those seeking to become architects, but AIA provides the continuing knowledge to become a leader in the profession.

Mr. Ivy spoke of his route to licensure and where it had now taken him in his long career.   His comments were captured on video and can be viewed here.   (Can’t view the video read highlights here.)  He also introduced Mickey Jacob, FAIA, the President of AIA who had come to town with him, and was going with Mr. Eben on the following day to tour ravaged areas of the New Jersey Shore from Superstorm Sandy three (3) months earlier.

Jason Peist, Assoc. AIA
2013-2014 Regional Associate Director | New Jersey | AIA National Associates Committee
jpeist@tmrassocites.com