Wednesday, May 25, 2011

AoT Recap

We had an excellent turn out for our first of the year Architecture on Tap! event held at the Haworth gallery on May 18th! The Associates Committee would like to sincerely thank our sponsor, Haworth, as well as our featured guests for making this event a great success. 

Many of our architecture colleagues as well as others from associated professions made it out to get a glimpse into the Dallas Arts District through the eyes of those who have been integral to its inception and continued growth. 

If you enjoyed May's event, please come to the next Architecture on Tap!, June 16th at Cretia's on McKinney where we will be discussing Architect / Contractor relationships. See ya there!

Photo recap of the May event:
Photos by Mara Salas

The nice folks at Haworth brought in a chef to assemble hot and fresh pizza as well as s'more bites and fish tacos to appease the crowd

Gents' enjoying the eats and drinks

Ladies supplying the drinks and discussing Architecture

Our esteemed guests, (from left to right) Zaida Basora, Pat Ankney, Veletta Lill, and Lionell Morrison

The house was packed for a discussion that ranged from Design Architect / Architect of Record relationships to the importance a walkable street

The spoils of the photo contest went to Jacob Spence

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Architecture on Tap



Architecture on Tap! is an event series hosted by the AIA Dallas Associates Committee and is open to anyone who would like to attend. AoT is an informal discussion event and usually takes place at a local bar/restaurant over drinks and snacks. Each AoT features three to five guest speakers who are prominent individuals in, and related to, the field of architecture. The speakers vary for each event and are asked to lead discussions which are usually related to the profession and practice of architecture but can range across any topic raised.Anyone attending AoT is encouraged to actively participate in the discussions but if just listening is more your thing, that’s fine, too. Historically, attendance at AoT events has been around 50-60 people and includes young professionals, architects, engineers, and the general public.

The next Architecture on Tap! event will be Thursday, May 19, and will be held at the Haworth Showroom in Dallas. The featured guests for this event were all instrumental in bringing the Dallas Arts District to life. The featured guests are:

Pat Ankney, AIA. A principal with Kendall/Heaton Associates, Pat was involved with the design and construction of the Wyly Theatre. He has worked on a variety of project types including corporate headquarters, medical offices, resorts, hospitality, and performing arts venues and is currently involved in the Devon Headquarters project in Oklahoma City. Pat received his BS in Architecture from Lawrence Technological University.

Lionell Morrison, FAIA. A founding partner of MorrisonSeifertMurphy, Lionell has won numerous design awards and is responsible for the design of One Arts Plaza in Dallas – a high-rise mixed-use development consisting of retail, residential, and office uses. He has produced a variety of projects of different type, budget, and scale. Lionell holds a B. Arts from UT-Austin and a M. Arch from UT-Arlington.

Veletta Lill. In 2009, Veletta accepted the newly created position of Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District. As executive director, she leads the various organizations in the arts district in joint operational planning and marketing efforts. Previously she served on the Dallas City Council from 1997-2005 and on numerous boards from the Dallas Museum of Art to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Her advocacy of the arts has been honored by numerous awards.

Zaida Basora, AIA. Zaida is the Assistant Director of the Dallas Public Works Department over Facilities Architecture and Engineering (http://www.dallascityhall.com/pwt/index.html). She began the LEED green building program implementation for the City of Dallas is a founding member and immediate past chair of the USGBC North Texas Chapter. Zaida holds a B. Environmental Design from the University of Puerto Rico and a M. Arch from UT-Arlington. She also serves on the UTA Dean of Architecture Advisory Council.

For the event registration visit the AIA Dallas Website or click on the following link: http://www.aiadallas.affiniscape.com/cde.cfm?event=350861

If you are interested in finding more Architecture on Tap! events and other AIA Dallas events, visit www.aiadallas.org and check out the events calendar.

Mara Salas, Assoc. AIA
Architectural Intern, Corgan Associates
AIA Dallas Committee Member

Friday, April 22, 2011

ARE Success Teams!



These fast-paced study groups are designed for you to have a team that studies and takes a test every six weeks. New teams form once a year in June and study together for an entire year. Each team will be comprised of individuals who will work together to develop a schedule and exam-taking sequence. AIA Dallas will provide study guides and access to preparatory workshops.

Why we provide study groups?
  • To provide structure for taking – and ultimately completing – the A.R.E. process
  • To provide dedicated study time as a team to enhance the learning process
  • To allow for study materials readily available and inexpensive for candidates to access
  • To create a supportive environment made up of and for those on the road to licensure

Why this year is different?
  • ARE Lecture Series are included in registration cost.
  • “Rendezvous” re-group meetings every 6 weeks where we will switch up study materials and discuss how the individual groups are structuring their time. This will provide a platform to help teams that may be struggling and make sure motivation is not lost due to lack of structure.
  • New Materials!!! Ballast provided along with Kaplan study guides.
  • 2 week break over Christmas and New Years.
  • End of Success Teams party to wrap up session and recognize those that have passed all their tests.

Are you committed in becoming Licensed Architect? Are you looking for inspiration and support of your peers? Then this program is for you!

For more information, please register to attend our free Information Session on Monday. May 2nd at 6:30 pm at the Dallas Center for Architecture. http://aiadallas.org/cde.cfm?event=349077


The next season of Dallas ARE Success Team study groups will kick-off on Monday, June 13th at 6:30 pm at the Dallas Center for Architecture. Register on-line at http://www.aiadallas.org/cde.cfm?event=351981


Mara Salas, Assoc. AIA
Architectural Intern, Corgan Associates
AIA Dallas Committee Member

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

What does it take to become registered in Texas?

You may or may not know it, but you can become registered in Texas without a professional degree in architecture… at least for the next five months that is. The Texas board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) changed the rules to require a professional degree back in 1999, but for those of us who began our career before then, we were grandfathered in and can still become registered. I am currently testing under this rule so according to TBAE, I am safe. But for all of those out there who have not begun your record, you will soon lose that right. If you have not contacted and obtained a registration number by August 31, 2011, you will have to go back to school to become a licensed Architect in the state of Texas. Did I say “go back to school”? That’s right! According to this month’s edition of Licensing News, the Board adopted new rules in their January 2011 meeting that “restrict the ‘grandfather’ provisions for architects to those who apply on or before August 31, 2011”. This means you are only “grandfathered” in if you have a TBAE record by this date. It goes on to say that on the following day (September 1st) these provisions will be repealed and “no one will be eligible for registration under those previous provisions”.

You may be thinking to yourself, I started school after 1999 so this doesn’t apply to me. You are right, but it does apply to all those folks who went to architecture school “back in the day” and have just never gotten around to getting registered. We all know at least one person that falls under this category and unless they subscribe to Licensing News, they won’t find out until it’s too late. According to this, if they don’t take action now, their “one day” will never come. This also affects those that may be seeking their initial registration in another state (yes, I know some of you think you are being sneaky), after this date you won’t be granted reciprocity in the state of Texas either. So, spread the word to all those old fogies (I can say that because I started in 1999) and let them know that they need to get in gear. Or as one person told me, “don’t tell them, it’ll mean less competition for us”. Whatever you do is up to you, but don’t say I didn’t tell you so!


To read the entire story in Licensing News, visit the below link:
http://www.tbae.state.tx.us/documents/April2011LicensingNews_000.pdf

To open an account with TBAE, visit the link below:
https://secure.tbae.state.tx.us/newaccount.aspx





Kimberly Cundiff, Assoc. AIA
Design Development Manager, Brinker International
2011 Assoc. Co-Chair, AIA Dallas