AIA ENY December 2020 Newsletter

December 2020

Inside this issue President’s Message..... 1-3 Annual Meeting Synopsis........ 4-5 2021 Executive Committee, Board of Directors, & AIANYS Directors.... 6-10 Congratulations to AIAENY Member Pasquale Marchese........ 11

President’s Message Welcome to AIAENY’s fifth and final issue of ARCHItext in 2020. As the year comes to an end, it is important to look back at it in its entirety.

Many of us have faced difficult challenges during this unprecedented time which has made this year a very difficult one for many. The current situation continues to affect everyone in so many ways. In early 2020, I had outlined several goals for the year. Even amongst the difficult circumstances that 2020 presented to us all, I feel AIAENY still has many accomplishments to be proud of.

Many of the bigger social events or fun continuing education programs we had originally planned had to be postponed and then ultimately canceled this year.

However, we were able to offer engaging educational opportunities online, including a virtual tour of New York State Landmarks, and a program that focused continued on page 2

2020 Event Successes............... 12-13 2020 Sponsors............. 14

Architext is a publication of the Eastern New York Chapter of the AIA. Please send photo, article, announcement, or presentation information for consideration for publication to the Eastern New York Chapter - aiaeny@aiaeny.org.

CORRECTIONS: Please contact AIAENY at aiaeny@aiaeny.org if you find any areas that need correction in the Architext. AIA Eastern New York appreciates all comments and feedback.

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Officers

President’s Message

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President Paul Conant, AIA President-Elect Stephen Kervin, AIA Past President Casey Crossley, AIA, LEED AP Treasurer Susan Lomonaco, AIA VP of Programs Andrew Petruzelli, AIA Secretary Caitlin Daly, AIA Past-President Tina Mesiti-Ceas, AIA Directors Melissa Clarke, AIA (2018-2020) David Pacheco, AIA (2019-2021) John Savona, AIA (2020-2022) NYS Director Baani Singh, AIA

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on sustainable design. We were able to transition the Home Building Crossroads Seminar by Peter Yost, one of our multi-credit opportunities, into an online virtual format. In addition, the chapter purchased on-line A.R.E. study material resources and software for Emerging Professionals that are a member of the Eastern New York chapter. A webinar was also provided to debut these materials to this group within our chapter. We were also able to transition our previously postponed Design Awards Celebration into a hybrid format that was held in late October at a local drive-in movie theatre. This was a fun concept that was enjoyed by those that could attend.

In October, we held our first virtual Town Hall. The Town Hall incorporated member survey questions at sign-up and a brief discussion of the attendee responses with several Executive Committee Officers at the onset of the discussion. This was followed by two virtual building tours conducted by Phinney Design Group, a recipient of multiple awards at this year’s AIAENY Design Awards.

The program was worth a continuing education credit. This is a great format to connect our membership with the Executive Committee on a regular basis.

This offers the engagement the membership needs and offers a fun opportunity to complete a deep dive into some great projects our members are leading. If your firm is interested in participating in a similar event in 2021, let me know.

My contact information is listed at the end of this letter.

During 2020, several new committees were formed to help streamline efforts to complete the work of the chapter. These new Support Committees include the Editorial, Website, By-Laws, Strategic Planning and Chapter Outreach committees. Each committee has a specific mission and Chair and are in addition to the existing Primary Committees. This strategy helped us facilitate updates to the AIAENY website, organize newsletter publications, develop a Strategic Plan and help organize and plan for Chapter By-laws updates. While this concept was a step in the right direction in 2020, we need your help in 2021 to keep these committees vibrant and active.

The Strategic Planning Committee has been working diligently with a facilitator for the AIAENY 2021-2023 Strategic Plan. I feel that the draft plan responds directly to the wants and needs of the chapter membership. The categories, goals, and initiatives that were identified are in response to the information gathered through membership surveys and discussions over the past two years regarding the best way to provide value to our members. We are excited about publishing the plan in a future newsletter in early 2021.

Our Annual Business Meeting, held virtually in November, was led by incoming 2021 President Stephen Kervin, AIA. The meeting included a year in review presentation, election of the 2021 Officers, and approval of the proposed 2021 budget and by-laws changes.

Despite the circumstances 2020 presented, it has been a great experience and honor to represent you as AIAENY President this year. I would like to wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday season. I hope that everyone has a great New Year and stays healthy in 2021.

Regards,

Paul Conant, AIA

2020 AIAENY President pconant2512@gmail.com

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Annual Meeting Synopsis

This year’s annual meeting was a chance to see some of the faces we haven’t had the opportunity to see for most of the year. While the year has been a challenging one, our increased technological abilities make interaction with our more remote membership easier than ever before. It was refreshing to see increased participation from our colleagues across the region. We’re hoping that in providing means to attend our meetings remotely in the future that we will continue to see this increased participation from our members.

We started the conversation by discussing some comments and questions that we received in preparation for our most recent town hall. Discussions circled around actions that the chapter should take in the future that aren’t currently being performed, increased tools and programs that would help membership professionally, and the hurdles that exist that are preventing membership from participating in AIA committees, programs, and meetings. Members provided great feedback to our survey questions, helping us develop a strategy for the upcoming years.

The meeting continued with the election of the Chapter officers and directors.

The slate of candidates was presented and in person and proxy votes were tallied, establishing a quorum of membership. We are encouraged to see some new faces participating next year.

Finally, we moved on to the approval of the changes to the bylaws. Most of the changes have been made to bring the chapter into alignment with the bylaws PAGE | 4

of AIA National and AIA New York State. Other revisions focused on making it possible for the board to function more efficiently and to clarify roles and responsibilities within the organization. A finance committee has been established, allowing for a more streamlined process to develop the budget each year. Bylaw changes allowing for increased attendance of AIA National meetings and AIA Grassroots will help the Executive Committees learn within their roles and better understand the overarching goals and initiatives of the organization. We feel like the changes will help streamline the process within the chapter, allowing us to better serve our membership.

I am personally encouraged by the success we had this year despite all our challenges. We continued to provide virtual programs for continuing education and membership involvement. We are streamlining our processes, allowing for more timely decision making. Most importantly, we are finding new ways to engage with our membership. I’m excited for what the new year will bring and I hope some of you will join us in our journey. Thank you for being a valued member of our community!

Stephen Kervin, AIA 2020 AIA Eastern New York President-Elect

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2021 Executive Committee, Board of Directors, & AIANYS Directors

Congratulations to all Officers and Directors that were elected during the 2020 Annual Meeting and in previous years.

Stephen Kervin, AIA | President My love of making, building, and general craft has driven me throughout my life. There is nothing I find more inspiring than watching a master tradesman or woman do their job and there are few things I find more interesting than learning the techniques that make their work seem effortless. When I found architecture, I found a career that would allow me to work with thousands of people who would continue to inspire and educate me for years to come.

I started my architectural education at Roger Williams University, graduating in 2004 with a degree in architecture and a minor in sculpture. During that time, I had the opportunity to work at a cabinetry shop where I learned construction techniques and skills that I continue to use to this day. Today, I maintain a workshop where I build my own furniture, cabinetry, light fixtures, and custom jewelry. It is this hands-on work that continues to drive my sense of detail and my emphasis on constructability in my professional work.

Immediately after graduating, I joined architecture+ where I remain there to this day. I have managed a wide array of projects for colleges and universities, municipalities, retail/commercial, residential, and healthcare clients. I have become an office resource for software training and employee development and I manage day-to-day physical plant aspects of the office.

In 2018, I became actively engaged with AIAENY. I recognized the opportunity to learn from and grow with my peers outside the office and I see the potential to influence change in the architecture community. In 2019, I served as Secretary and in 2020, I served as President-Elect. I am excited to take on my next role as President and look forward to the new opportunities to come.

Andrew Petruzzelli, AIA | President-Elect As a graduate of University at Buffalo’s architecture program, it was hard not to develop an appreciation for historic architecture and the problem solving issues inherent with a repopulating and densifying aged rust belt city.

The Master of Architecture program provided many opportunities to gain firsthand design, restoration and preservation experience. At Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture and Preservation here in Albany, we specialize in restoration, preservation and adaptive reuse of historic structures on a daily basis. Volunteering on the AIAENY board was important as it facilitates relationships with other general practitioners in the Capital Region and allows me to keep a pulse on current trends. As the Vice President of Programs in 2019 and 2020, it was a privilege to bring exciting and unique continuing education programs to our membership helping to strengthen the local design community. Through the planning and attendance of these innovative events PAGE | 6

and cross pollination of other local preservation group happenings, I was able to further promote the importance of a historically diverse community and a dense, populous, walkable urban core to the designers of this region. As the Chair for the Emerging Professionals Committee, I enjoy encouraging camaraderie and development of aspiring architects and designers into a close-knit network of regional collaborating professionals. I look forward to continuing my service as President-Elect in 2021.

Caitlin Daly, AIA | Treasurer I started my venture into the profession by earning my B. Arch at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2009. The course of study at RPI gave me a thorough foundation in theory and technology. I even elected to take several additional theory courses, including in music and philosophy. Despite my love of theory, to truly grasp all the nuances I felt I needed to gain some practical experience. I began working at ArchWorks, PC, in Glens Falls, NY during my 5th year where I was given the opportunity to work on multiple projects ranging from small-scale libraries to large-scale school projects. I continued working there until 2011, when I decided to move to Paramus, NJ to work at a small firm as a Project Coordinator.

After a few more years of working in an office I decided to return to academia.

I chose to pursue a MA in History and Critical Thinking at the Architectural Association in London. While at the Architectural Association, my research focused influence technology has on the methods of architectural practice.

Specifically, drawing on my experience to try to better understand how we visualize space.

Upon completing my studies, I returned home and started working at CSArch.

While at CSArch, I have led several K-12 education, college, and corporate projects for our clients. I have been working as a member of our BIM management team to develop the future of our office.

Volunteering has always been a part of my life. As my parents taught me, the greatest disservice we can do to ourselves, and our community, is to decline to share our knowledge. In 2020, I served as Secretary and I am excited for the opportunity to take on my next role as Treasurer. I look forward to being able to share my excitement and knowledge with our growing community, and find new ways to develop programs to better serve our members.

Matt Heiser, AIA | Secretary My fascination with the built environment began at a very young age. It first started in the 4th grade, when I began “designing” houses using a rudimentary computer program we had installed on the family computer. I would spend days staring at the screen, creating, and tweaking the multitude of homes I had built. From that moment on, I was hooked!

I began my Architectural studies at Hudson Valley Community College in 2007.

I later transferred to the University of Buffalo and then finally to the University of Hartford, where I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Architectural Technology in 2012.

Upon graduation, I began my career creating store layout drawings for the Golub Corporation in Schenectady, NY. Following my time at Golub, I started a position right down the road at Synthesis Architects, where I had the great opportunity to work on a variety of interesting and challenging projects. Finally, PAGE | 7

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Executive Committee, Board of Directors, & AIANYS Director Candidates

in 2016, I moved to CSArch where I remain employed today. While working at CSArch I’ve had the opportunity to work on numerous K-12 projects, and experience tremendous personal and professional growth. To this day, I remain grateful for all the experiences I’ve had so far in these beginning stages of my career.

In 2019, I became a licensed Architect after many long nights of rigorous study. One of the lessons imparted on me throughout the process, was the importance of helping others and sharing knowledge. This will be my first year as part of the AIAENY Board; I hope to pay back to others the guidance and mentoring I’ve received throughout my career.

Mary Kate Young, AIA | VP of Programs Mary Kate Young is a versatile architect with twenty-five years of experience.

Her portfolio includes renovations and additions to existing buildings, historic preservation and restoration, as well as new construction. She is an experienced architect with a deep understanding of design, phasing, constructability, and sustainability. She led the first architecture+ project to receive LEED certification. Since 2001, her primary focus has been on higher education projects for colleges, universities, and independent schools. Mary Kate has spent 22 years of her career at architecture+ becoming an Associate in 2007 and a Principal in 2014. She is an engaged principal with a proven ability to motivate and manage a project from conceptual design through construction administration while maintaining high standards. Mary Kate takes great pride in serving the community through both her design work with clients and volunteer work to support valued community organizations. Mary Kate looks forward to supporting AIAENY in her role as Vice President of Programs.

Paul Conant, AIA | Past President

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After working with my father, who is a contractor, I came upon the decision to become an Architect late in high school and began my education at Herkimer County Community College in order to build a portfolio to apply to Architecture School. This afforded me the ability to work at a local architecture firm on a part time basis during the school year and the summer months. After Herkimer, I transferred to Syracuse University’s School of Architecture and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. After graduation in 1997, I worked for two years at the Jersey Shore on Long Beach Island designing shore homes and custom residential developments in Medford, NJ. I decided to come back to Upstate NY in 1999 and worked for many years at Townsend Associates which later became a part of Vollmer Associates LLP. In 2007, I joined EYP and worked for 10 years on Higher Education projects and many large-scale US Federal Government Projects in Germany and the Middle East. In 2017, I decided to join CSArch to diversify my experience working on K-12 Education projects. Currently, I am the Senior Project Architect on the $150 million dollar Albany High School Renovation Project. I began volunteering at AIAENY in late

2017 and became VP of Programs in 2018. The reason for me volunteering with the AIA was simple; I wanted to give back. I wanted to repay all of the people that helped me along my journey in this profession. As President in 2020, I continued to support the growth initiated by my predecessors and look forward to supporting the chapter as Past President in 2021.

Casey Crossley, AIA | Director (2021-2023) From a very early age I was always interested in buildings and putting things together. I spent my teenage working years in residential construction and decided to turn it into a career. That took me to the School of Architecture at RPI in Troy. I began working at architecture+ as a student intern after my junior year, and went to work there full time upon graduation. I was named an associate of the firm in 2019 and have been fortunate to work on a broad range of projects. Throughout my career at architecture +, I’ve worked on projects ranging from a marquis for a small community theater in West Virginia to mental health hospitals and almost everything in between.

I received my license in 2015 after what felt like a very long three year process. I was fortunate enough to work at a firm that was very supportive while I prepared and provided me the opportunity to navigate the licensure process on my own path. I decided to become involved in the AIA shortly after I became licensed because I wanted to help other emerging professionals through the licensure process. I became involved in the newly formed Emerging Professionals Committee which quickly and unexpectedly led to a spot on the Board of Directors as the 2018 President-Elect. Since then, I’ve continued as President in 2019, served as Past President in 2020 and look forward to continuing my service to the organization and its members as a Director.

John Savona, AIA | Director (2020-2022) Returning for Second Year of Term John has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry and holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University at Buffalo. He began his career with the Laberge Group in Albany and later took a position with BBL Construction Services where he worked on a broad spectrum of projects across the northeast. He spent a better part of his career with SRG Architects where he worked on several notable local projects including the Albany International Airport Terminal reconstruction, while also managing various aspects of the firm. John is currently an Architect with the Dormitory Authority State of New York (DASNY) where he manages designs for various client agencies like SUNY, DOH, and OPWDD while providing support towards advancing policy goals of New York State. For example, in 2007, John was involved in a collaborative effort between several core NYS Agencies where he provided technical support towards crafting legislation in support of NYS Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards. As a former president of AIAENY, John joined the Board to advance several personal goals with respect to People, Purpose, and Partnerships. People—our members and community. Purpose—defining individual and collective value based on knowledge, community, and trust.

Partnerships—creating connections with a common purpose that can promote engagement, confidence, and inspiration. He believes that combined, these goals can orchestrate an adaptive and integrative process aimed at advocating innovation and regenerative thinking in a co-creative, transparent, and collaborative manner that continually improves the quality of our organization for our members and our community.

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David Pacheco, AIA | Director (2019-2021) Returning for Third Year of Term David is the Director of Operations, Senior Architect, Vice President and Partner with H2M architects + engineers. He’s co-founder of Pacheco Ross Architects, P.C. a nationally recognized, award winning architectural firm dedicated to design of Emergency Response Facilities across North America. He is NCARB certified, licensed in 10 U.S. jurisdictions and a local Director of the American institute of Architects previously serving as President, Vice-President and State Director. David is an Adjunct Professor of Professional Practice. His broad leadership experience and design expertise has enabled him to write, teach and counsel on all aspects of architecture across North America. He has co-authored articles, books and national standards and serves on the ASTM E54 Committee on Homeland Security Applications. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with degrees in Architecture and Building Sciences, his education included study in Rome, Italy where he regularly serves as a guest studio critic. He has received accolades and numerous awards for his practical and aesthetically pleasing designs that respond sensitively to client needs, budget, codes, the environment, and the community. A “40 under 40” honoree, he has been a juror for national design awards as well as the Brown Travel Fellowship. David is an elected public official, serving as Fire Commissioner for Niskayuna Fire District No.1. In addition, he is an RPI Patroon and is a Rensselaer Newman Foundation Trustee. David is committed to the idea of the local AIA Chapter serving its Members.

Scott Townsend, AIA | NYS Director Scott credits a high school teacher that let him do some mechanical drafting and design solar-powered homes for fueling his interest in architecture. He studied architecture at Mississippi State University and after serving as a Principal for Townsend Associates-Architects PLLC and the Director of Architecture at Townsend Architects, a division of Vollmer Associates, Scott founded 3tarchitects. As Partner and Design Director, 3t was based on his passion and drive to create socially relevant projects by transforming communities, neighborhoods and buildings in need. SWBR recently acquired 3t Architects, allowing the Rochester company to expand into the Capital Region.

3t Architects will become 3t Architects, an SWBR Company and Scott Townsend will become a principal. Scott is looking forward to serving as the NYS Director.

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AIAENY Congratulates Pasquale Marchese, AIA

The members of AIA Eastern New York would like to congratulate Pasquale Marchese, AIA on his recent election as the 2021 AIA New York State President-Elect.

For over 20 years, Pasquale has been a dedicated member, serving AIA Eastern New York as the Vice President of Programs, President-Elect, President, Past President, and subsequently serving AIA New York State as a Director and on the Executive Committee as the Vice President of Communications & Public Awareness. Pasquale brings enthusiasm, experience and dedication to the position and we wish him the best as he continues his service to the AIA as AIANYS President-Elect in 2021 and AIANYS President in 2022.

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2020 Event Successes

Town Hall & Virtual Tours

Top: Adirondack Trust: Wilton Middle: Silver Bay Center Bottom: Glen Lake Private Residence

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On Wednesday, October 14, Phinney Design Group virtually presented three of their AIAENY Design Award winning projects including: The Silver Bay Center; Adirondack Trust: Wilton; and a Glen Lake Private Residence.

Michael Phinney described each project and reviewed design concepts, site features, innovative materials uses and overall design achievements. The Town Hall portion of this event included review of three member polled questions, the responses, and AIAENY officers’ overview. The questions largely dealt with how the leadership can serve its membership better and what services are requested by the membership. The results of this survey will help us to craft the events and programs over the coming years. Thank you to all how participated.�

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2020 Event Successes

Design Awards

AIA Eastern New York | Celebrating the 2020 AIAENY Design Awards at the Drive-In! On Tuesday, October 27, AIA Eastern New York hosted their 2020 Design Awards Celebration at the Jericho Drive-in in Glenmont, NY. Participants were welcomed with a pre-show video of all the projects up for consideration along with a ticket for a bucket of popcorn compliments of AIAENY. A link was also provided to download the digital program booklet. The video provided a brief history of Drive-In Theatres; summaries of the teams that received awards and thank you videos from each team or individual. In addition, Sue McClymonds, FAIA, CSI, CCS, SCIP, NCARB, active member and an AIAENY Past President, was recognized for her elevation to the College of Fellows this year.

Thank you to all the individuals, contributors, and sponsors who helped make this event happen this year including AIANYS staff led by Executive Vice President Georgi Ann Bailey, CAE, Hon. AIANYS, AIALI Chapter leadership, AIAENY participants, and Melissa Clark, AIA, AIAENY Director. A special thank you goes out to John Tobin, AIA who emceed the event and for Katrina Pacheco, AIA, NCARB, LEED BD&C who was the 2020 Design Awards Chair.

You may view the video here - https://youtu.be/TppTNv2QgOI and view or download the program booklet here - https://issuu.com/aianys/docs/ aiaeny_2020_design_awards_program_final_10-21-20.  

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Special Thanks to Our 2020 Allied Members!

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We wish our members a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.

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Architext is a publication of the Eastern New York Chapter of the AIA. Please send photo, article, announcement, or presentation information for consideration for publication to the Eastern New York Chapter - aiaeny@aiaeny.org.

CORRECTIONS: Please contact AIAENY at aiaeny@aiaeny.org if you find any areas that need correction in the Architext. AIA Eastern New York appreciates all comments and feedback.

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