COMMUNITY
Hello Friends and Colleagues: We started off this year on a high note, having just celebrated our 150th in glorious fashion at the Fillmore. The plan was to build upon last year’s successes while building up for A’21, and I was EXCITED for what was ahead. To say things have gone off the rails is an understatement, but all plans aside in many ways I’m still EXCITED for this year and the new challenges ahead. This is uncharted territory for many of us and will test our ability to adapt and adjust. The strides that I have seen made, the outreach from our colleagues and consultants, and the discussions being had will have an everlasting effect on our profession. Who would have thought that we’d show up to work on a Monday, then close the doors and go remote the next day? Life and work do not stop, it goes on, and we are all trying to figure out how to balance the two from the comfort of our homes. On the plus side, business casual has taken on a new meaning. While this is not turning out to be the year that I described or envisioned back in January at our Board Induction, I do see this as a time in which AIA Philadelphia can rise to the top and shine. Already, and thanks to our amazing staff, there has been a major PIVOT to move our presence to the digital world, determine how to maintain fundraising goals, and adapt to the current financial and social distancing world. It will prove to be a time in which we will come back with a goal to build-back up and adapt to new realities, and in which resiliency will prove critical. In my induction speech I described some of the reasons I was EXCITED for 2020. I spoke about the 2030 challenge and how we can and should be doing more to bring attention to the issues facing our planet. A silver lining of the quarantine is the amazing recovery we are witnessing all around us; waters in Venice are clearer than they have been in years, there are noticeable emissions reductions over areas of Asia and Europe, and there has been a reduced load on the energy grid with offices and retail locations closed which may change the way we think about energy production and usage. The challenge will be to build upon this recover, and not just revert to the way things had been. I also addressed member engagement, and how we can rethink the way in which we connect with and get participation from our membership. Never did I think we would be in this situation, but it does offer us an opportunity to explore new ways of engagement in a digital age and reconsider the way in which we connect with and share our messaging. I want to stay positive and think of the ways in which this will make us a better organization, and I hope that you will as well. There will be hardships, and there will be negative impact as a result of Covid-19’s effect on our way of life. While we are all apart please maintain contact and support the chapter, our members, our colleagues, employees/employers, consultants, friends, family, and selves in any way you can. We can be thankful for the internet, FaceTime, webex, email, and all the other luxuries that we have at our disposal that allow us to stay connected. While you are home try to take some time to reflect, relax, and recharge, for when we reemerge, we’ll all be looked upon to lead the charge within our built environment. I look forward to the day we are all meeting in the same room again, but until then please be safe, healthy, and continue to look ahead. Sincerely,
Paul J. Avazier, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NCARB President, AIA Philadelphia Associate Principal, Atkin Olshin Schade Architects
6 SPRING 2020 | context | AIA Philadelphia