AIACNY

The new Baldwinsville branch of Empower Federal Credit Union is the first facility by the newly merged entity composed of the former Empire and Power Federal Credit Unions. With this new facility Empower sought to create a new image celebrating their new vision.

The branch is located in a turn of the century industrial building in the heart of Baldwinsville. This particular space was converted from a previous restaurant tenant. The first challenge was to create an image that combined the customer friendly nature of the credit union with the industrial nature of the building. To that end the existing columns, beams and floor deck above were left exposed and painted in a metallic finish. Ductwork was also left exposed and direct / indirect pendant light fixtures were used to highlight the open volume of the space.

The second challenge was to insert an ambitious program in a tight space. To achieve this, the teller area was compressed between two office areas. The compression is illustrated in the curvilinear nature of the millwork. The curves were translated to a floating ceiling which brings the teller area volume down to a more intimate feel for customer transaction.

A curved customer service desk greets the clients as they arrive. A curved metallic painted wall, lit indirectly from side provides the backdrop. Lower profile Offices are placed around the perimeter of space, their lower ceilings enhance the volume of what is a tight lobby space.

The project provided many opportunities for creative solutions for all the members of the design team. A compact area, an ambitious program in an industrial context were just some of the more interesting challenges to creating a space that would be welcoming to the credit unions clients.

The President's Message

I hope everyone reads this message prior to Saturday, November 7 which promises to be an exciting night for the Central New York Architectural community. Our annual “Celebration of Architecture” featuring the work of our colleagues is a night to celebrate and admire the exemplary architectural design work developed in Upstate New York. It is also an opportunity to mingle with our friends and sponsors all of whom make this event an evening not to be missed. We have lots of surprises, design awards, music, dancing and fine dining (compliments of Syracuse University catering services) So, please join us and find out who the winners are for our annual awards event and who is the next recipient of the President’s Award. For this year the 2009 President’s award is an individual who I truly admire and I hope you will all agree that this person is awe inspiring for the energy that she brings to the community. (Can you guess who she is!) Don’t miss this event; I promise the evening will inspire you to become more active in our chapter and our community at large. Come and celebrate the talents and share the expertise that we bring to the professional field of architecture.

“Yes Minister”

This is a title of a British TV comedy that takes place in a Government Ministry. It makes fun of the politically appointed Minster, his Aid and the British civil service. It is a farce.

Comparing our life in the US today with what George Orwell forecast in “1984” and Lawrence Sanders presented view in ‘The Tomorrow File”, we are very fortunate. In light of the prognosticators, as architects we have very small problems. Yes, illegal practice is a threat to the health, safety and welfare of our populous. Illegality is in the eye of the beholder.

One form of illegal practice is exemplified in this newspaper advertisement. Reading the September Advertising Supplement “Time Warner Cable Presents “The Power of You”, Parade of Homes 2009 it was noted that of the 8 home parade only one was credited to be designed by an architect. There was one Design Team with no RA noted, two Interior Designers and Window Designer, one Interior Decorator, two Interior Designer and one Interior Decorator and Designer to round out who had done them. The Town of Onondaga does require building permits and Certificate of Occupancies for homes. Are some people practicing without a license or are some professionals aiding and abetting the illegal practitioner?

Is professional misconduct an illegal practice? Professional misconduct acts may be incompetence, gross incompetence, negligence, gross negligence, fraud, and/or unprofessional conduct based upon record keeping deficiencies. None of these terms seem to fit the above situation.

The professional is not intentionally misrepresenting or concealing a known fact, which such proof would be needed to be guilty of fraud. If there is misrepresentation it is by a unlicensed person. Is the Town accepting or administering the Rules and Regulations of New York State poorly? Who shall complain?

If in fact, there was violation of the Education or Department of State Laws, who would investigate? If no professional was involved neither agency would. It would be the Attorney Generals responsibility. History has shown that a small fry case gets shelved because of priorities and allocation of funds. My, that sounds familiar.

In Great Britain most Ministers are political party appointments. A cadre, of civil servants, manages the government ministries as they try to control their leader. The foreplay and fencing between the politico and staff makes for great humor. The same situation applies is New York State . Our ministers are appointed Commissioners and Secretaries. The only elected official in our professional justice system is the New York State Attorney General. A four-year wonder and 20 to 30 year bureaucrats run all other agencies governing the “Professions”. Let the farce begin.

Farce is a noun, defined as an insincere, contemptible, or impertinent imitation of something worthwhile. I opt for impertinent imitation of something worthwhile. The synonyms are mockery, burlesque, caricature, mock, sham and travesty. I opt for caricature, as does the Brit Com in its opening credits using drawn caricatures of the cast. As one stands on the outside looking, it may seem farcical, but to those involved as Licensed Professionals it is not.

A few years ago, now it is over 10 years, there was a crusading architect, who on his own time, visited Towns and Villages code offices and reviewed issued building permits. He uncovered wrongdoing. One case was the use of a diseased architects stamp. The man died 10 years before. The other was improper review of drawing, not having a record, before stamping, signing and submitting them to the codes department for a building permit. His complaints move SED and the AG into action. A year later through the system these cases were resolved. Basically cease and desist. Was the effort spent really worthwhile?

How many Don Quiotes are in our ranks? Are we willing to dig deep enough? Who shall cast the first stone? Will it be tough love of the profession or benign tolerance as usual? Who said, “Laws were made to be broken”, and why was it said? We know there are over 15,000 Licensed Architects allowed to practice in New York . How many lawyers are practicing in New York State ? We shall try to answer it next month.

The IDP was established to assist architects in the transition between academic education and architectural practice. IDP helps to give interns overall exposure to the many facets of architectural practice. There are six main objectives of IDP.

The Central New York AIA offers many programs and activities which support these objectives and can even translate directly into IDP credits for interns. Just as the AIA offers opportunities for architects to advance in their professional development it is important to the health of the profession to support young architects in the same process.

First and foremost, the AIA offers many opportunities for networking at a wide host of social events throughout the year. Events such as the monthly Happy Hour, golf outings, and ski trips create the chance to discuss the profession in a meaningful way and meet possible mentors to help you in your professional development.

Community Service is a very important part of IDP reminding us all of the importance of giving back our services to the communities in which we live. Interns may choose to become involved directly in the AIA by volunteering on a local chapter committee or volunteering with the Architectural Explorer Post mentoring high school students about the aspects of working as an architect. Furthermore, IDP offers a maximum of 10 Training Units for work completed in “Work Setting FF: Performing professional or community service when it isn't applicable to any other work setting” or in “Training Category D – Professional and Community Service.” This can help unemployed interns or interns having trouble meeting their minimum requirements.

The AIA offers many programs focused directly at providing Continuing Education opportunities to its members. Continuing Education Units can be applied in any area in categories A-D with a maximum of 235 Training Units allowed. Every Learning Unit is equal to .25 Training Units in the IDP and these can be reported by submitting an AIA transcript to NCARB. AIA sponsored Site visits to different projects in the area currently under construction can directly relate to experience in site observation while product presentations and CSI presentations can supplement an intern’s knowledge of materials and construction methods.

Understanding the legal and governmental side of the work we perform may not be of the utmost interest to every intern, but it is a very important part of the practice that needs to be understood by both architects and our government to operate effectively. The annual AIA Lobby Day and the AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) meetings give interns and architects alike the opportunity to learn how architects can interact with our government and the legal issues that affect us all. Involvement in these activities can also be applied to the IDP as community service or volunteer time.

So whether you are in need of community service credits or credits in other categories the Local CNY AIA Chapter has many opportunities for you, as an intern, to advance and gain experience in the profession. I encourage everyone to try to get involved in whatever way you can and have fun!

Opening of the Meeting: This meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects Central New York Chapter was held Thursday, September 10, 2009 at the AIACNY Resource Center . Julia Hafftka-Marshall , AIA called the meeting to order.

By Dean A. Biancavilla, AIA, LEED AP, Holmes King Kallquist &Associates, Architects, Syracuse, NY dab@hkkarchitects.com

I learned in September of Arch Friedel’s passing last July and wanted to relate some stories of his wonderful sense of humor. He had left behind many friends, which showed that his legacy went beyond his architecture. A memorial service was held Sunday, September 20, 2009, at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Syracuse and it was appropriately called “A Celebration of the Life of Arthur Friedel, Jr., March 6, 1923 – July 30, 2009.” Several people told of their wonderful memories of ‘Archie’ including his brother Peter. St. Paul’s was Archie’s church and he assisted over the years by contributing his knowledge of building construction thru volunteer service on the Building & Grounds Committee.

The fall events are here at the Syracuse School of Architecture. See the attached pdf of the fall event schedule.

Funding for the Office of the Professions to Maintain Services to both Licensees and the Public – A.8219

I bring to your attention an important piece of legislation that will impact the Office of the Professions in carrying out its charge of investigating the unauthorized practice of a profession and professional misconduct,as well as the protection of public health and safety. While this legislation will require AIA New York State, Inc. members to increase their contribution, AIA New York State, Inc. recognizes that most registration fees have not been raised since 1989, and that the Office of the Professions is in dire need of additional funding to maintain an adequate level of service to both licensees and the public.

This legislation, a primary AIANYS legislative initiative for 2009, is now being considered by Governor Paterson. AIA New York State, Inc. supports the legislation, provided that the funds collected pursuant to this bill are released by the Division of Budget to enable the Office of the Professions to hire critically needed employees, particularly to enforce statutes prohibiting the illegal practice of architecture.

Please contact the Governors office today encouraging him to approve the bill by by clicking here. The subject line your email should read Assembly Bill 8219 – Funding for the Office of the Professions

GOVERNOR PATERSON SIGNS STATE GREEN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ACT; OGS TO DEVELOP “GREEN BUILDING” STANDARDS

Governor David A. Paterson recently signed the State Green Building Construction Act. The new law gives OGS the authority to develop and implement new green building standards for New York State .

Ashley McGraw Architects, PC is proud to announce the addition of two new architects to its Syracuse office’s K‐12 Studio. Both are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited, bringing Ashley McGraw’s total number of LEED Accredited Professionals to 44.

Tomas Delgado, originally from Argentina, holds a Masters of Environmental Management with a concentration in Urban Ecology from Yale University, where he was awarded the Luce Fellowship for research on sustainable architecture and urban design.

Robert Johnson has over thirty years of experience in architectural design, project management, and construction administration. He holds a Masters of Architecture from the SUNY University at Buffalo.

Also joining the Ashley McGraw staff is Marketing Coordinator Adam Zurbruegg. A graduate of the SUNY University at Albany, Zurbruegg has a background in graphic design, media planning, and community outreach.

Beardsley Design Associates is excited to welcome Michael V. Romano, P.E. to the firm as Engineer. Michael brings more than 5 years of electrical engineering experience to complement the firm’s full architectural, engineering, and landscape architectural design capabilities.

Michael holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan . He is a Professional Engineer and a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. His expertise includes electrical engineering for a vast array of clients including government agencies, educational, health care, and commercial institutions. Michael is currently providing services for projects at Fort Lee, VA for Beardsley.

Historic State Tower Building I 109 S. Warren St. Store 11 I Syracuse, NY 13202
Telephone/Fax: (315) 475-8563 I Email: aiacny@verizon.net

Please join us in welcoming Susanne Gruening, our new AIA/CNY Resource Center Office Consultant. Susanne is a graduate of the Interior Design program at Syracuse University . We are excited that Susanne has joined our cause in bringing design professionals together. To promote our AIA Chapter, Susanne will be working to establish relationships with vendors in an effort to gain supporters while maintaining our successful affiliation with our current sponsors. She will also be scheduling upcoming Seminars to assist us with our continuing education requirements.

Members of The AIACNY Chapter of Central New York
now have access to WI-FI at The Resource Center
Monday-Friday- 8am- 12noon.

All AIA Members have access to all ARE Study Materials, There is no fee to use the ARE Study Material, but a Deposit (Check) will be required, which will vary.

The check for deposit is given to Susanne Gruening at Resource Center on the date you want to borrow the material. You will receive your check for deposit on the return of the material to The Resource Center .

AIA New York Chapter’s public calendar is also a great place to promote both this Chapter’s events and other outside events: http://www.aiany.org/calendar/index.php