AIA Eastern New York March 2022 Newsletter

March 2022

President’s Message Inside this issue President’s Message..... 1-2 Grassroots 2022.......... 3-4 2022 Color of the Year.................. 5-7 CANstruction............... 8-9 Call for Volunteers... 10-11 Albany Riverfront Collaborative........... 12-17

Welcome to the first issue of ARCHItext for 2022.

We have started the year off with exuberance and are ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead.

We here at the AIA Eastern New York Board are happy to serve you and ask for your input to stay relevant. We thank each one of you for your continued support and increased involvement in the chapter. While the past two years have been a struggle to maintain all aspects in life through a mix of isolation, canceled events, social distancing and the dreaded virtual meeting platforms (all with their differing intricacies, and the all-important camera and mute button locations…), we recently appear to be emerging from the most recent COVID variant outbreak, and with wide open-arms are beginning to plan in-person events this year. It is with great pleasure that we can once again can meet face to face, IRL and socialize with reduced fear of infection. continued on page 2

Events......................... 18 Archiprep..................... 19 Allied Members....... 18-19

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 Andrew Petruzzelli, AIA President-Elect Caitlin Daly, AIA Past President Stephen Kervin, AIA Treasurer Karin Kilgore-Green, AIA VP of Programs Mary Kate Young, AIA Secretary Alexandra Messina, Assoc. AIA

Directors John Savona, AIA (2020-2022) Casey Crossley, AIA (2021-2023) David Pacheco, AIA (2022-2024) NYS Director Scott Townsend, AIA

President’s Message

The 2021 three-year strategic plan is the critical frame work we have set forward in order to maintain a robust AIA chapter here at the Eastern NY region.

Our priorities this year are to improve membership value, advocate for the profession, and to educate, enlighten and empower our members. We are in the process of kick-starting numerous special committees, headed by board liaisons to ensure that these fundamental goals are not only maintained but continue to flourish with innovative and exciting ideas to keep the chapter fresh, relevant and rejuvenated. In the coming weeks, we look forward to rolling-out a series of LU and social events with an increased awareness of and respect toward the ever-changing social and political dynamic of the current time.

A top priority this year is to continue our heightened membership engagement and to deliver many relevant opportunities to you. We all realize the extreme pressures, stress and reward that comes with the profession and the board would like to be available to not only provide all the resources our membership requires to succeed, but also find ways to lessen the load, share the burden and provide professional and social outlets to share ideas, goals, challenges and efficiencies. This year we will be rolling-out a series of membership surveys to better learn how we can best serve you; what resources do you need? what are the areas of continuing education that will be the most beneficial to you? Is a mix of in person and virtual events the best? What are best times to encourage attendance and participation? and the like. We want to ensure our services are readily available to all members of the chapter, independent of any perceived or physical remoteness. We realize that you are our greatest resource. We want hear from you, and to have our programming reflect your input and goals. Stay tuned for exciting professional development offerings within the chapter and opportunities to get involved at any commitment level.

We will continue to develop and reinforce new strategies for increased, relevant communication with our membership.

Personally, I am honored to be your president this year and want to thank everyone for their continued support and participation. As my fourth year on the board, I look forward to serving you and working with the membership, staff, executive committee, and the board to realize our shared goals. Please take to opportunity this year to reach out, have your voice heard, participate and make the best of your membership.

Thank you,

Andrew Petruzzelli, AIA 2022 AIAENY President apetruzzelli@ltrw-arch.com PAGE | 2

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Grassroots 2022:

An AIA Leadership Event

by Caitlin Daly, AIA, 2022 AIAENY President-Elect Some conversations are difficult to have.

Often, they are the most necessary. Championing the advancement of racial, ethnic, and gender equity and environmental actions, the AIA is actively engaging in these difficult conversations. Throughout the AIA Grassroots Conference we were challenged to envision a future that embraced the full measure of human potential.

The conference started out with the Keynote

by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Creating a Just & Equitable Society where we had a challenging discussion about racism. One of the discussion points that Dr. Kendi, author of How to be an Antiracist, hit on that stuck with me was the idea of Intentionality and Accountability. There is a difference between acknowledging that there is a problem and working to solve the problem. The unfortunate truth is everyone must unlearn what society taught them to believe; which for many people includes holding themselves accountable and being intentional in modifying their thinking, and behavior. As Dr. Kendi noted, a person isn’t simply racist, but can be racist in context. Meaning we can at once hold both racist and non-racist views when applied to different policies.

As architects, what specifically can we do to combat racism and inequality? As an industry, we can elevate voices through the composition of our teams, our design process, and our integration of community.

As individuals we can promote our industry across our communities, volunteer our services or be mentors in youth programs. We should be accountable in bringing stakeholders from all walks of life and experiences to the table during our processes. We can choose what is seen as important or gets tucked away. We can design the future we want to build.

The next session I attended brought this rather daunting task to the more manageable sized goal of our impact in the city in The World We Want: Designing for Economic, Racial, Climate, and Environmental Justice. Lead by city board members and citizen architects, the discussion centered around community advocacy, and our role as facilitators within the urban fabric. Understanding our role as an architect within the context of a city can be difficult at times. However, there is always the question of who should you design the project with? Many of us present in the session felt that our cities were best PAGE | 3

served when projects had input from their communities. Designing with the community by actively engaging them in the process builds trust and lasting relationships.

We can do this through advisory boards, multiple interactive public meetings, and/ or engaging with the community outside of project work.

As Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, co-editor of All We Can Save: Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, noted in her Keynote Leading in a Time of Transformation, this next decade will be the most pivotal in history.

No one is invulnerable to climate change, although people are able to temporarily adapt or run away from the issue with varying degrees of success. Climate change has typically been championed by women, which is understandable given that woman, particularly minorities, face more challenges due to climate events ranging from sexual assaults to domestic violence to homelessness. Yet women, even as champions, are underrepresented in every space surrounding climate change. In 2020, when interviewing guests about climate on broadcast TV, only a quarter of them were white women, and 7 percent were women of color.

By under-representing women in the narrative of the climate crisis, we are cutting off and eliminating avenues of possible solutions. Research has shown that more diverse teams, with broader perspectives has led to more successful solutions. By broadening the perspective, we allow the narrative to shift and embrace heart centered approaches, rather than simply logic centered ones, that build community centered solutions.

So, what comes next? After countless hours of debate and research during and immediately following the AIA Grassroots Conference, there is a silence as we contemplate the answer to that question. It important to reiterate a point stated numerous times throughout the conference – “Design thinking is our Superpower.” The questions raised during the conference are exactly the type that our profession excels at answering. We redefine spaces.

We build communities. We envision the future.

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Sherwin Williams 2022 Color of the Year

Advertorial | Sherwin Williams is a valued Allied Member of AIA Eastern New York

Our 2022 Color of the Year, a shade of organic, restorative green, embodies nature’s effect on our well-being.

The 2022 Color of the Year is Evergreen Fog SW 9130. Year after year, we choose a single defining hue after carefully considering the global sentiments and new styles we anticipate for the year ahead.

Here, we’ll look closer at the fresh, cool shade of Evergreen Fog SW 9130 and its place within biophilic design.

Photo by West Elm

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The Flourishing of Biophilic Design A concept first popularized in the 1980s, biophilia is, as the name implies, the love of life—an innate human tendency to seek connection with the natural world. In design, we’ve seen biophilic principles emerge regularly throughout history, but lately it’s become a far more significant piece of the puzzle.

Humanity has been spending more and more of our time within built environments over the last few decades, and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of time spent in human-made spaces has grown considerably.

We crave the outdoors, so we bring it indoors. And this craving is more than just surface-level; it can actually have a real and lasting impact on our health and sense of well-being. When effective, we call this biophilic design.

Incorporating nature and wellness into home and commercial spaces can prove remarkably beneficial, so biophilic design is unlikely to be just a passing trend. Our overall well-being depends on our connection to the natural world, so as Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams, believes, “being thoughtful about the purpose of a space and how it can round out a sense of well-being” is becoming vital in the modern world of design.

Bringing Buildings to Life. Bringing Life to Buildings So how do we bring this “love of life” into often sensory-deprived and artificial settings like office buildings, hospitals, schools, and retail environments? Natural light and ventilation, raw materials, green vegetation, and even furnishings with nature-inspired forms can elevate sterile spaces so that they feel more environmental. Of course, organic colors can serve as a reminder of the wider world outside our doors and impact our well-being.

Scientific studies have proven that a patient’s physical surroundings can help or hurt the healing process. Which is why we so often see soothing, restorative colors in healthcare facilities rather than drab or disruptive colors. This need for healing was part of what led to the selection of the Sherwin-Williams Color of the Year for 2022, Evergreen Fog, a serene sage color that pairs well with organic woods and textiles.

Given the importance of restoration and “green living,” it’s no surprise that many of the finishes and materials that pair best with the organic Evergreen Fog fit comfortably within the realm of the sustainable design movement.

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Nature + Nurture In architecture and design, it all comes back to nature. But it’s not only about connecting with our environment—it’s about protecting it as well.

We’ve written about rethinking sustainability, about historic preservation efforts and the use of found objects and repurposed items, and these eco- and budget-friendly considerations still hold true.

At Sherwin-Williams, sustainability has been a top priority for decades. The company has voluntarily participated in the Carbon Disclosure Project since 2006 and is striving for the goal of operating at 50% renewable energy by 2030.

There is also the Sustainability by Design™program. From initial concept through commercialization, Sherwin-Williams seeks ways to make products more sustainable and higher-performing by improving chemical formulations, manufacturing processes, health and safety, packaging methods, and more.

With an ongoing focus on nature’s influence on us, and our influence on nature, there’s never been a more opportune time to embrace an organic hue like the Sherwin-Williams 2022 Color of the Year, Evergreen Fog.

Advertorial | Sherwin Williams is a valued Allied Member of AIA Eastern New York. To learn more, go to https://www.sherwin-williams.com/.

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Capital Region CANstruction

by Jill Shorter, Ryan Biggs Clark Davis

The Capital Region Canstruction Hunger Heroes Competition is underway!

The CANstruction Hunger Heroes Food and Fund Drive is an annual competition that runs in conjunction with Capital Region CANstruction. The Hunger Heroes program invites teams of all shapes and sizes to collect food and funds to benefit The Food Pantries for the Capital District, a coalition of 65 food pantries in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Saratoga Counties! Hunger Heroes provides everyone in our community with an opportunity to be a part of the significant impact of our regional Canstruction event and all food and funds raised contribute towards the CANstruction totals.

Capital Region Canstruction (including the Hunger Heroes program) has donated over $200,000 and 800,000+ pounds of food to The Food Pantries for the Capital District over the last 11 years. We’d love for you to sign on as a team today!

How It Works Registered teams will earn 1 point for every pound of food raised and 6 points for every dollar raised – teams can be made up of companies, organizations, groups of friends, families, school groups, etc. The top three teams will receive a special honor.

Registered teams will receive a confirmation email with competition instructions and a tool kit for success.

Team CSArch and Capital Region Canstruction Board of Directors participate in a Hunger Heroes Build. At the end of the event, all of the food is boxed by our amazing volunteers (pictured) and donated to The Food Pantries.

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• Pantry Items in High Demand: Pantries need shelf-sustainable food and personal hygiene items.

• Just $1 allows The Food Pantries to purchase 6.25 pounds of food.

Collection Due Date: March 28, 2022 Hunger Heroes Contact Information If you have any questions please contact Donor Relations Coordinator at The Food Pantries for the Capital District, Angie Weber, aweber@thefoodpantries. org or (518) 458-1167 ext. 114.

Registration Hyperlink - https://thefoodpantries.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/thefoodpantries/eventRegistration.jsp?event=77&fbclid=IwAR1jLFn8vm84bqh68snWNGk4fMvLx1dv7yefHW0P7Ck7txC2sDVc-Ob0pDQ

The architecture & design event of the year returns to Chicago June 22–25! conferenceonarchitecture.com

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Opportunities to Volunteer & Grow

Do you want to be more involved with AIAENY but aren’t sure where to start or don’t think you have the time? Not to worry, AIA Eastern New York is looking for all types of volunteers for various levels of commitment. From those that can offer their expertise on one of our committees for a few months, to those that are willing to use their networking skills for a few hours, and everything in between. No amount of time is too short, or task too small. So, let 2022 be the year you get involved in your AIA Eastern New York Chapter.

Volunteering provides the following benefits: • Developing new skills • Forging new relationships • Giving back • Developing leadership skills Here is a list of 2022 committees; reach out to the liaison for to learn more or to volunteer!

Emerging Professionals Task Force Liaison: Caitlin Daly, AIA Mission: Supporting beginning architects’ success and growth through study groups, social events, outreach and professional networking.

Tasks: Develop a member following, plan EP events, establish and maintain a social media/ communication platform.

Duration: Kickoff Event April 8th 2022, planning meeting March 17th, 2022.

One meeting and/or event per month.

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Contact: cdaly@csarchpc.com

K-12 Task Force Liaison: Steve Kervin, AIA Mission: Supporting career success and growth through educational offerings.

Tasks: Develop a plan to define the role of the task force, their goals and success. Identify and meet with other Chapter having K-12 programs.

Contact: kervins@aplususa.com

Chapter Outreach Committee Task Force Liaison: Casey Crossley, AIA Mission: Maintaining a robust, relevant AIA local chapter Tasks: Develop a plan for outreach. Ask for meeting of like sized Chapters to begin to develop a plan. Develop assessment tools.

Contact: caseycrossleyaia@gmail.com

Design Awards Task Force Liaison: Andrew Petruzzelli, AIA Mission: Strategically promote good design with government, local media, and enhance the awareness of hiring an architect.

Tasks: Develop an Action Plan for decision making, logistics, marketing, etc., plan and enhance 2022 ENY Design Awards.

Duration: 2022, meet monthly/ or bi-weekly as needed to plan event.

Contact: ap@ltrw-arch.com

Editorial Oversight Committee Task Force Liaison: Caitlin Daly, AIA Mission: Inform members of AIAENY news, and events. Provide a platform for AIAENY members to engage in industrial discourse.

Tasks: Plan and implement the quarterly ENY ARCHItext newsletter. Consult on topics for newsletter, including suggestion for feature articles. Organize newsletter content, coordinate graphics, and provide general support.

Review and coordinate updates on social media.

Duration: Kickoff Meeting April 2022. One meeting per month with additional work required at times of newsletter submissions.

Contact: cdaly@csarchpc.com

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Making Connections: The Albany Riverfront Collaborative

by Jodi Smits Anderson, AIA & Scott Townsend, AIA

Jodi Smits Anderson, AIA

Scott Townsend, AIA

The monumentally disruptive urban renewal projects from last century critically wounded Albany, NY, the capitol of New York State, while immediately rendering it inert. This inertia has settled into the city’s bones for over half a century, outweighing any thoughts of undoing or correcting the planning wrongs of the past to the magnitude required.

During this time, the downtowns of Albany’s sister cities in the Capital Region, Troy, Schenectady, and even Saratoga, have all evolved and matured, creating new energy and demand appropriate for 21st century life. In addition, the downtowns of fellow upstate cities, namely Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, have either changed with the times or have viable plans in place to do so.

All the while, Albany remained stagnant.

Downtown Albany prior to the existence of 787 and the Empire State Plaza.

That is, until now. The Albany Riverfront Collaborative (ARC) formed to break the mold by going big, bold and, as its namesake says, being collaborative, all the while creating viable approaches that address current cultural and climate issues as well as challenges specific to Albany’s context (i.e. train tracks, PAGE | 12

The Dunn Memorial Bridge under contruction.

Contemporary Overview

floodplains, state workers, etc.). The depth and cross section of the ARC’s contributors vary widely, paralleling the challenge ahead. The ARC sees the opportunity for Albany to, once and for all, break out of its’ downward trajectory.

What opportunity? In this time of transition and recovery, Congress passed a massive federal infrastructure stimulus package, including a Reconnecting Communities pilot program. The former Convention Center site (Liberty Park) has been turned over to Albany for the City to develop. And the last two years living with the COVID pandemic have revealed horrible inequities in our community, a significant separation from Nature in our city, and a needed and growing recognition of our climate peril, especially along the edge of the Hudson estuary, which is tidal (sea coast) up to Troy.

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Existing

Planning by Whom? For Whom? The City of Albany’s shoreline and adjacent downtown have been controlled and shaped by the State, including the erection of the Empire State Plaza which decimated 98 acres of the city, the construction of 787 which separated our communities from each other and from the River, and the more recent gutting of the area known as Liberty Park which left many downtown businesses without a supportive downtown fabric.

Those past projects created many of the equity, climate, and health issues of today, and we cannot use that same planning approach going forward. The time has come for the Region, led by Albany, to come together to vision and create excitement about the Albany Riverfront that will serve us all for the long-term. This process will include many and varied interactions with our neighbors to activate curiosity about what could be.

Re-connect What and How? •

Liberty Park area has no existing planning in place.

•

787 was an infrastructure project of the 60’s with little regard for the communities destroyed by its construction.

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The Hudson River is an historic, cultural, and natural resource that we can barely access in our daily lives.

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Our downtown is a day-town with little to create joy and purpose 24/7.

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Many neighborhoods in Albany deal with food apartheid and lack of access to Nature.

Each of these circumstances will provide us valuable insights and needed perspectives to reconnect our communities and benefit from our vibrant physical location.

Why now? Federal money is now available, and we must begin planning and preparing now so we are eligible to receive it, and then to use it well. We have the needed skills in our local communities, we have the will to share information as well as receive it, and we have an increasing recognition of the rights and responsibilities we have to all the peoples of our city.

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Proposed

We also have examples of other cities that are re-engaging with their riverfront resources, and using the removal or re-design of massive aged-out infrastructure as a springboard to activate the local economy while making every resident proud of their city and happier in their lives.

How is it paid for? The stimulus money is a significant factor, but not the only way money will move. We expect we will be releasing about 92 acres of land from the concrete grip of 787 and its associated access ramps, almost making up for the businesses and homes destroyed for the Empire State Plaza.

About 77 of these acres will be in Albany, the rest in Rensselaer. This land access brings tremendous opportunity for informed development at public, private, and partnership levels, which will result in revenues from the sales of land and from property taxes.

Another surprising aspect many don’t realize is that 787 is at the end of its planned life-span, and the investment needed to keep the status quo over the next few decades is equivalent to nearly half of the expected construction costs for reducing 787, creating boulevards, and improving access to the river.

And maintaining the connective riverfront will be significantly less costly to maintain.

Why must we? This is an opportunity that will serve us on so many levels.

As this is a project that is starting with a vision of a shared, more accessible, economically strong, equitable, healthy, climate sensible, and weather resilient future, we know the work will have to be community-driven. It will also have to be a process of accessing shorter-term opportunities in a way that supports that long-term vision. This is really all hands-on-deck for our (and Albany’s) future.

The joy is that once we rely on process, instead of on a set result, we free ourselves to not only understand what is possible now, but to access what will be possible in five years, or 12, or 25. And the collaborative that will engage in this connective shepherding must represent all of Albany, and will be able to build on work already in progress, such as the Skyway, and the connected Bike Trails.

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This ongoing effort is itself part of the process of healing our communities, and key in helping our communities heal our Hudson Riverfront. What a great gift to bestow upon future generations.

So how can one help? There are several ways: •

Learn more on the ARC’s Website, and sign up for the Newsletter https://www.albanyriverfrontcollaborative.com/

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Follow the ARC’s social media sites, and react & comment - Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

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Reach out, via our website, if you feel you can be a contributor!

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As a resident, participate in our community conversations. The times and dates will be announced on our website.

ARC Contributors Elisa Albert, Novelist Owusu Anane, Albany Common Council Member Derek Baranski, Videographer Joe Bonilla, Relentless Awareness Adam Bonosky, SWBR Lincoln Brown, Lincoln Brown Illustration Jeff Buell, Redburn Development Schuyler Bull, Fort Orange General Store Zac Conley, Cresa Realty Daniel Connolly, Videographer Martin Daley, Livingston Ave Bridge Coalition Al DeSalvo, City of Albany Planning Board Chair John Eberle, The Community Foundation Judith Enck, (fmr) EPA Regional Administrator Patricia Fahy, Assemblywoman NYS 109th District Ginnie Farrell, Albany Common Council Member Sam Fein, Albany County Legislator, 6th District Tony Gaddy, Upstate New York Black Chamber of Commerce Alice Green, Ph.D., Center for Law & Justice Alan Goldberg, First Albany Companies Jackie Gonzales, Walkable Albany Shawn Hamlin, Hamlin Design Group Kevin Hasselwander, Chazen Companies PAGE | 16

Jahkeen Hoke, Business for Good Pam Howard, Historic Albany Foundation W Dan Hulchanski, Canal Society of NYS Scott Kellogg, Radix Ecological Sustainability Center Annmarie Lanesey, Can Code Communications Reif Larsen, The Future of Small Cities Institute Benita Law-Diao, Outdoor Afro Liz LoGiudice, Resilience Communications & Consulting LLC Cara Macri, Historic Albany Foundation George McNamee, Plug Power Tracy Metzger, (Former) IDA Chairperson Jonah Michel, Around Albany Jeff Mirel, Rosenblum Companies Christina Minkler, PE, Transportation Engineer Philip Morris, Proctors Collaborative Michael N’Dolo, MRB Group Chet Opalka, Kiwi Foundation Yasmine Robinson, (former) City of Albany Planner Theresa Rodriguez, AVillage Jim Rua, Café Capriccio Maureen Sager, Alliance for the Creative Economy Christine Schudde, Habitat for Humanity Capital District Starletta Smith, YWCA of the GCR Jodi Smits Anderson, EYP Georgette Steffens, Albany Downtown BID Mary Liz Stewart, Young Abolitionists Leadership Institute Paul Stewart, Underground RR Education Center Karen Strong, Strong Outcomes Ed Swyer, Stuyvesant Plaza Scott Townsend, SWBR Charles Touhey, Omega Homes/Touhey Associates Josh Wainman, Wainschaf Associates Arlene Way, Arbor Hill Development Corp Willie White, Albany Dept. of Youth & Workforce Services Adam Zaranko, Albany County Land Bank PAGE | 17

Special Thanks to Our Allied Members!

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Event & Program Schedule

2022 Design Awards Call for Entries Coming Soon!

2021 Interiors Merit Award Recipient

The Restoration of St. Anthony’s Church

Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation Photographer: © Elizabeth Pedinotti-Haynes

The 2022 AIA Eastern New York Design Awards Call for Entries will be launching in the coming weeks and we are excited to announce that the celebration will be in-person this year in June! We are looking forward to seeing everyone and celebrating the achievements of our members.

FRIDAY APRIL

Save the Date: EP Happy Hour Stay tuned for more information.

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2022 AIAENY Design Awards JUNE

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Stay tuned for more information.

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ARE Prep Offerings

Special Thanks to Our Allied Members!

AIA Eastern New York offers deeply discounted licenses to Architecture Exam Prep. Our price, $60 per license, gives you access to study materials for one exam of your choice and includes pdf guides and flashcards, an mp3 audio companion and an online exam simulator. These digital materials are yours to use for as long as you need and the files never expire. Licenses are non-transferrable so you will not be able to share content.

Click here for more information about Architecture Exam Prep: https://architectexamprep.com/ For more information, or to purchase a license, contact Cara at aiaeny@aiaeny.org.

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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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