ARCHITECTURE New York State | Q3 | September '21

ARCHITECTURE

NEW YORK STATE SUSTAINABILITY RESILIENCE & DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

SEPTEMBER ’21

PAGE 2 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Contents President’s Letter

4

Executive Vice President’s Letter

5

1

Advancing Carbon Neutrality Block

By Block, Community By Community

2

The Impact of Design When Disaster Strikes

3

Good Design is the Best Design: How Affordable Housing is Shaping a Sustainable Future 14

4

A Resilient Thought

5

In the Eye of the Storm

6

10

18

22

AIA New York State Updates

29

SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 3

Dear friends, colleagues and leaders; Our past informs our future. As we progress through National Preparedness Month, we are reminded that we need to prepare our communities for potential shocks and stressors. Recent storms, historic flooding and the 20th anniversary of 9/11, drive home the critical nature and value of what we do as architects. Protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public is our ethical charge. When we do our job well, communities don’t see or feel the disruptions. Inherent in our charge is to prepare every day through our work. We seek to create sustainable, cost effective, solutions that meet current and future needs. The word “tomorrow” is key to how we must approach Sustainability, Resilience and Disaster Preparedness.

Comprehensive, all hazard approach. Since starting the state-wide partnership and training for CEDAR with the DEPARTMENT OF STATE and Cal OES SAP training, hundreds of our members have responded to volunteer when called. We are better prepared to respond. Partnerships with NYSERDA have placed an emphasis on our role in creating better, sustainable buildings and educating the industry on how to advance those goals.

We lead the country in sustainable energy codes and award Buildings of Excellence that demonstrate and apply solutions as a way forward.

But I ask you, is sustainability and resilience enough? As we gain a better understanding of the forces and science that illustrate the future needs of our communities, I believe we, as the architects of New York State, must go further.

Innovation and building the best buildings can land us beyond building code minimums—an attitude that bodes well for our future and provides us with the power to change the world. As an industry, we are contributors to today’s issues—we can reverse those negative outcomes and regenerate our communities in partnership with ecosystems.

If we have learned anything since 9/11, Katrina and Sandy, it’s that resilience is action.

The immediate action needed is you as the architect taking a leadership role in advancing the regenerative building practice. Regenerative buildings and communities go beyond sustainable and resilient practice, they are a holistic approach to dynamic forces in an ever changing world. Every project repairs the earth, generates energy and opportunity beyond its own use. Architects are bringing this forward, who better to assemble teams and understand the complexities of regenerative design? Us! As we approach “tomorrow,” lessons learned and the wisdom of the past informs our role as leaders and the positive impact we can make on our future. I charge all of you to be a leader and agents of change for a better future.

Sincerely,

Illya Azaroff, FAIA 2021 President | AIA New York State

PRESIDENT’S

LETTER PAGE 4 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Sustainability and Resilience Can Come in Many Forms “Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive” James Cascio Conversations about resilience and sustainability are part of practically every meeting we have at the State Component. When the theme of this issue was announced, my instinct was this was going to be easy—I’ll do some research, go back to my notes and spin off an article.

I came across Mr. Cascio’s quote and thought his words are applicable to the American Institute of Architects. They describe how the AIA has stood strong and resilient through economic downturns; rhetorical missteps and the pandemic. We found ourselves in trying times over the past eighteen months and we persevered.

At AIA New York State, we did a hard stop in the midst of a full year of planned educational activities; legislative initiatives and member outreach and immediately began retooling to meet the immediate needs of the members. Our member communications turned into sending out communiqués at all hours. Education programming went from the latest in design to programming on how to keep your firm up and running and your projects moving ahead in a virtual world. Weekend letters to the Governor and legislators became routine.

Unlike many organizations, we have remained strong and resilient and adapted in real-time.

The American Society of Association Executives named the AIA one of 100 associations that will save the world. Pandemic or not, our principles and mission remain strong. The AIA has not wavered in their stand on a sustainable future; protection from climate change; economic opportunity; affordable housing and equity, diversity and inclusion.

Earlier this year we renovated our office space to better suit our changing needs. As I stood in the transformed space admiring the results, I reflected upon our collective ability as an association to adapt to changing conditions and regain functionality because of the strength and resilience of our members.

But isn’t that the culture of the profession? AIA members throughout New York State responded to calls from NYS Agencies and continued their work with hospitals and schools as their continued commitment to their clients. Pandemic or not, they did their job.

Administratively, our motto with the Officers and Board was, “be where the members are, listen closely to what they need and act on it.” Last year, we reached over 8,000 individual architects and this year, over 1,000 members have taken advantage of education offerings.

The AIANYS Board has remained engaged and is led by a great team of Officers.

The world and AIANYS will no doubt face other challenges; with 160 years of organizational sustainability and resilience, we will continue to thrive because of your support and involvement. Thank you, as always, for continuing to do your part.

Sincerely,

Georgi Ann Bailey, CAE, Hon. AIANYS Executive Vice President | AIA New York State

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT’S

LETTER

SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 5

1

ADVANCING CARBON NEUTRALITY BLOCK

BY BLOCK, COMMUNITY

BY COMMUNITY

by Janet Joseph, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Market Development, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

N

ew York State has the most aggressive clean energy and climate agenda in the nation as outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act – setting a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050 and putting New York State on a path to economy-wide carbon neutrality. These goals are science-based and point to the level of greenhouse gas emission reduction that we need - not just in New York State - but across the country and globally, to preserve and protect our planet and our communities.

With buildings responsible for one third of the economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions in New York State, it’s clear that we need to undertake bold action to decarbonize the State’s buildings block by block and community by community, as well as ensure that any new construction is meeting a higher standard of performance.

In conjunction with a team of national experts and stakeholders, NYSERDA has mapped out its comprehensive decarbonization strategy, in the form of the Carbon Neutral Buildings Roadmap (https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/ Carbon-Neutral-Buildings), to be published later this year. The Roadmap presents building solution sets and policy recommendations in an effort to accelerate decarbonization progress in an equitable, effective and efficient manner. The Roadmap currently presents pathways for single family homes, multifamily residences, commercial buildings, and higher education projects. It will be updated every two to three years to ensure

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that the research is cutting edge, the market is up to date, and the policy recommendations are relevant.

Architects and other members of the design community are some of the key influencers in producing designs in a responsible way, that will push innovations to the built environments.

NYSERDA partnered with AIA through the first-of-its kind, $40 million Buildings of Excellence Competition (https:// www.nyserda.ny.gov/all-programs/programs/multifamily-buildings-of-excellence) to spur the design of very low or zero carbon emitting multifamily buildings, while protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Through this effort, architects and developers are working together to help shape the future of our buildings in this market sector, which represents about 40 percent of projected new building construction in New York (by square footage).

Since the launch in 2019, two rounds of the Competition have awarded over $31 million to over 40 projects across both the market rate and affordable housing communities. 68 percent of the Round One and 78 percent of the Round Two funding served the low-to-moderate income community. The Competition shows the advancing shift to carbon neutrality in the New York State building stock among leaders in the architectural and design community. All 14 projects awarded in Round Two of the Competition are slated to be all-electric buildings, including the first proposed “super tall” project. The upcoming third round will build off the successes in Rounds One and Two. We remain encouraged by the innovation, interest, and participation in this Competition. The awarded projects contin-

ue to show that, with leadership and creativity, we can bring affordable, beautiful, and comfortable low carbon buildings to scale.

New to Round Two of the Competition, NYSERDA partnered with The Architectural League of New York to ensure overall design quality was an important criterion in the evaluation of the projects. This effort brought together five accomplished jurors, including AIANYS President Illya Azaroff, FAIA, to evaluate the project submissions and identify those that most effectively met multiple criteria for design excellence. Five projects were selected to receive the Blue Ribbon for Design Excellence award (https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/ Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/Winners). These projects exhibited a series of successful decisions on material, structural system, and construction technology selections, building design function, site context, and ways to make the spaces comfortable and pleasing for the occupants. The three projects highlighted below, also seamlessly integrated the building’s energy efficiency and production, resiliency, and long-term maintenance and operation into the overall design.

offer cost-effective solutions that reduce energy consumption and improve health while promoting sustainable living.

Bethany Terraces Senior Houses | Rendering by Paul A. Castrucci, Architects PLLC

Another example of how awarded projects are advancing a low carbon and resilient future, is the all-electric, affordable housing project, Bethany Terraces. Designed by Paul A. Castrucci, Architect PLLC, the project responded to the existing site in Brooklyn, New York by creating an appropriately scaled building using prefabricated, modular design. Harnessing the benefits of modular construction, the project will be economical to construct and replicable throughout New York State. The project was designed to Passive House and Enterprise Green Standards and will be a model for the Passive House + Renewables approach to Net Zero Capable buildings. Bethany Terraces was awarded $810,840 in funding for utilizing air source heat pump (ASHP) water heaters for DHW linked with water source heat pump, VRF ASHP, ERVs, solar PV system for on-site energy generation, and smart building monitoring. The 58 units will provide a healthy and comfortable interior environment with connections to exterior gardens.

The Rise | Rendering by Nightnurse Images courtesy of Magnusson Architecture and Planning

The Rise, which received a $1,000,000 award, is a fully electric, mixed-use building with supportive and affordable housing units for justice-involved families. The resulting design prioritized attributes that achieve a “trauma-informed design” that focus on the safety, wellbeing, and healing of the residents.

Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC, the project successfully takes overall form and massing cues from its complex site located in the Brownsville neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The development was designed to Passive House and Enterprise Green Standards and is part of the Vital Brooklyn Initiative. Features include state-of-the-art heat pump water heaters for domestic hot water (DHW), variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pumps for heating and cooling, energy recovery ventilators (ERV), solar photovoltaic (PV) system for on-site energy generation, smart building monitoring, rooftop gardens, a greenhouse, and green roofs. The Rise will

Cooper Park Commons - Building 2 | Renderings by Architecture Outfit and Magnusson Architecture and Planning

A final leading example of minimizing carbon emissions in a building, is the fully electrified, affordable housing project of Cooper Park Commons Building 2, which was awarded continued on page 8

SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 7

$1,000,000 in funding. This project is part of a multi-building development in the East Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. An acknowledgment of the adjacent historic building fabric can be seen in the façade, helping to integrate the project into the context of the site. Co-designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC and Architecture Outfit, the building provides enhanced indoor air quality, comfort, health, and resiliency for all 311 housing units.

The project features VRF ASHP, solar PV system for on-site energy generation, and electric appliances. The design team is committed to achieving LEED for Homes v4 Gold and Passive House Classic certifications. These standards provide top-tier maintenance and operation strategies to maximize long term operating expense savings. The project will act as a model for enhancing sustainability at other community-driven, campusstyle developments.

For AIA and its members, the Buildings of Excellence Competition fits into the mission of the AIA 2030 Commitment. The Commitment goal is to transform the practice of architecture in a way that is holistic, firm-wide, project based, and data driven. AIA provides tools to assist its members in making continued progress in achieving energy efficiency in their respective project portfolios. Through this initiative, AIA continues to prioritize greenhouse gas reductions, resiliency, and occupant indoor health and comfort. We are excited to continue this partnership and advance our shared goals toward carbon neutrality in New York State’s building sector.

The collective power of the architectural, development, and construction communities under the Buildings of Excellence Competition is a groundbreaking blueprint for the cost-effective transformation to creating the State’s carbon-neutral building stock. This also means investing in how to make our buildings more sustainable, with on-site renewable power sources that will help ensure that the structures are more resilient to the effects of storms and how to provide cleaner air quality for the living and working spaces of all New Yorkers.

Decarbonizing buildings can be challenging, but we are accelerating toward a clean energy future through these groundbreaking and replicable designs that are reducing carbon emissions, while providing a comfortable space of residents and improving quality of life. We will continue to view these changes through an equity lens to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the benefits of clean energy investments and low carbon housing. l

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Janet Joseph is the Senior Vice President for Strategy and Market Development at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). She leads NYSERDA’s work in building decarbonization, advancing programs and policies to deliver a carbon-neutral building stock. Ms. Joseph has been working on clean energy and climate change for more than three decades. She has held technical, policy and leadership positions at NYSERDA, where she has spearheaded initiatives in green buildings, solar and renewable power, cleantech incubators, energy storage, and greenhouse gas reduction strategies that provide benefits for New Yorkers. Prior to joining NYSERDA, Janet was a research scientist at Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory and a consultant for Booz-Allen and Hamilton in Washington, D.C. Ms. Joseph serves on the Boards of the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Urban Green, New York State Center for Future Energy Systems, and the Urban Futures Lab. Janet received the 2015 Public Service Excellence Award from the State Academy for Public Administration, and was voted as one of the top ten Clean Tech leaders in New York. She has a Master’s degree in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Maryland, where she did research on the impacts of coal combustion on the environment.

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2

THE IMPACT OF DESIGN WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

By Jeffery T. Smith, AIA, NCARB and Roger V. Brown, PE

Roger V. Brown, PE

Jeffery T. Smith, AIA, NCARB

A

s architects and engineers who design a variety of facility types, you have accumulated years of experience of how to implement your design process to meet your customers’ expectations for their day-to-day operations while ensuring the safety, comfort, and security of users. But how does that all change when your state-of-the-art building has no power, the basement is flooded, people are looking for a place to shelter during a storm, or your creation has been partially destroyed by natural or man-made events? This article will look at some of the issues that design teams should consider to prevent harm or death in the event your structures have to withstand a catastrophe that was not anticipated. To illustrate why design is critical, let’s start with a tragic, but true, story of what happened at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005.

Everyone was alerted that a Category 5 hurricane was approaching Louisiana in the days before August 28th. One and a half million people, including the mayor of the City, decided to evacuate and head to higher ground, creating the first disaster of many that were not expected; unprecedented traffic jams.

While most people had at least a chance to flee and survive, those severely sick or injured in hospitals like Memorial did not have that option, so they were told they would ride it out in place. Sure, they had back-up power, food supplies, water, medicine, and external safety nets like the National Guard, so they

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were confident this would be just another flood condition like so many in the past. But it wasn’t to be. As a result of poor design, poor planning, poor execution of contingency plans, and lack of support from local authorities, approximately 45 patients died at Memorial for various reasons. All of the details of that event are contained in the controversial book “5 days at Memorial” by Sheri Fink.

Aerial photo of Lourdes Hospital, Broome County, NY. Source: Susquehanna River Basin Commission June 2006 Flood Report, January 2007 | Photo: D. Lupardo

Source: National Weather Service https://www.weather.gov/images/ bgm/flood/september072011/mpe/sep06-082011_12z-12z_48hour_final.png

In comparison to that tragedy, Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, New York faced a similar flooding event one year later, but with a different outcome—no injuries or deaths. An offhand conversation in the early 2000’s led to the design of a temporary floodwall that could quickly be constructed to protect this riverfront facility. This design was tested in 2006 and lessons were learned. All of the patients and staff were successfully evacuated from Lourdes to neighboring hospitals before it was too late. Through a FEMA program, that temporary solution inspired a permanent solution that resulted in better success during Tropical Storm Lee in 2011. The primary difference between Memorial in New Orleans in 2005 and Lourdes in Binghamton in 2011 was that extensive pre-planning, actual implementation, and continued modification of an emergency plan had occurred; steps had been taken to make that plan better the next time around.

This article will not discuss the book, or go over the details of the Binghamton events, but will instead present some ways that design can impact those kinds of outcomes when a disaster strikes in the future. The authors have used a healthcare example as the starting point because that is our major market and, in an emergency, the population tends to gravitate towards hospitals expecting those facilities to be operational and accessible to all. We believe design criteria such as those utilized in the healthcare sector that focus on planning for emergencies can be universally applied to other types of occupancies, from schools to government buildings to arenas.

There are many reference guides and manuals that lead us through advanced planning and implementing emergency operations during times of duress. One of those is the 2018 Version of the FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals which has a section and extensive appendix material about this matter. We offer the following suggestions from that document for discussion items to consider during the initial planning of your next project.

Aerial photo of Lourdes Hospital, Broome County, NY. 2011 Source: FEMA https://toolkit.climate.gov/image/854

IMPORTANCE OF PROJECT TEAM PLANNING

Starting at the very first project meeting, place hazard mitigation discussion items on the agenda. It is very easy to jump right into to programming and design. This needs to become a habit for all our projects. This meeting should consist of multi-disciplinary persons including decision makers and staff leaders. We are architects, we plan things. Do not hesitate to initiate these subjects with your team and clients prior to design of their project. You never know where a conversation could lead, it could lead to a better project.

PROGRAMMING

The project purpose, type and size, and occupancy are all drivers of and can be strengthened by… design. By adding emergency planning to the programming process, the design team brings an additional element of safety considerations to the project, that may not have been considered otherwise.

SAFETY AND SECURITY/ HAZARDOUS VULNERABILITY

These risk assessment processes are used to flush out project risks and hazards and identify those items that will be implemented within the projects design. This is basically a hazard/ risk/harm brainstorming session. The entire project team is involved with the process and even though some or all of these items may not be addressed within the project, every scenario should be considered and there should be written documentation of the process that can be referred to at a later date, or as part of a future project. We have all gotten blank stares and puzzled faces when addressing topics such as these during project meetings. As professionals, we can all handle this challenge, and our projects will be better off.

continued on page 12

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FLEXIBILITY/SURGE CAPACITY

Should the design include space for community residents to shelter? If so, what is the capacity? Can the building support its occupants during a shelter in place event? Is there an alternate use for the space that should be considered during an event? Should there be provisions for storing resources to support an alternate use or function? Consider storage for items such as medical supplies, food, water, and/or pharmaceuticals.

INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT

What is the performance of the project’s existing structural and critical non-structural building systems? What is the likelihood of loss of externally supplied utilities? Where is the location of critical equipment such as main power distribution systems, generators, HVAC systems, elevator equipment and controls, and command centers?

Are these items situated in secure locations? Will your clients and their businesses be unnecessarily disrupted?

WHAT CAN GO WRONG? THINGS TO CONSIDER

Wind and earthquake-resistant design for roofing; flood protection; space needs during an emergency - projects can have an alternate use just in case; continued building system operation; old school functionality in case of power loss (hand pumps, landline phone, manual operation of systems and services, ingenuity).

RESILIENCY – SOME CONCEPTS TO DISCUSS

Adapt to changing conditions; recover from disruptions; resist deliberate attacks; focus on reducing damage and protecting life and property.

Emergency preparation, planning and response tactics are usually not the purview of design professionals, but critical first decisions about what to include or not include in the design solution can be significant when your project is put to the test. We have endeavored to guide you towards alternate items to consider. This article is not meant to be all inclusive, but to spur thought and provoke an exchange of ideas for the benefit of our clients resulting in a better project. l

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In 2006, after working just two years with his current firm, Chianis + Anderson Architects, PLLC, Jeffery was incorporated into the firm leadership. Jeffery has been instrumental in expanding services to clients up and down the east coast. From historic preservation and rehabilitation to expansive adaptive reuse projects, Jeffery injects resourceful, innovative solutions into every project, resulting in exceptional outcomes for our clients. Jeffery maintains registration with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and upholds professional architectural registrations in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida. Jeffery is a member of many professional affiliations including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Since 2019, Roger V. Brown, PE has been the Director of Business Development and Senior MEP Engineer at Chianis + Anderson Architects in Binghamton, NY. He has over 20 years’ experience as a Director of Facilities, managing all design, construction, maintenance, and operations in several hospitals in New York and Connecticut. As a Sr. Project Executive for a national construction management firm, he was in charge of building several hospitals in Cleveland and St. Louis from 20072012. Roger was a member of the Revision Committee for the FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities for 20 years and served on the ASHRAE 170 committee.

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SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 13

3

GOOD DESIGN IS THE BEST DESIGN: HOW AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS SHAPING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

by Sara Bayer, Associate Principal and Director of Sustainability, and Matt Scheer, Director of Communications, Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC

L

ast year, while prepping a presentation on sustainable affordable housing, a development type that our company specializes in, we tried something new: visualizing the projected Energy Use Intensity (EUI) numbers for our buildings over the last 10 years. The diagram showed what we expected – that those metrics were consistently better than code, but we also saw something else, something exciting. While the energy codes are becoming more stringent, the difference between our projects and those code minimums has, on average, become even greater. What’s more, the projected EUIs for the buildings we have on the boards take a nose-dive, in a veritable race toward near net zero energy use.

To understand what’s going on here, you need to know that affordable housing, particularly affordable housing in New York, has been leading the charge on sustainable multifamily development for many years. There are a few key reasons for this: First, many affordable housing developers see sustainability as integral to their social impact, which can include improving resiliency, durability, and resident health. Second, most of these building owners hold their properties for a long time, which makes operating costs a concern and potential energy savings enticing.

Third, and likely the biggest factor here, is that the public funding agencies that finance these projects have adopted

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strict sustainability requirements through Enterprise Green Communities, EnergyStar, NYSERDA, Passive House, and LEED. Public incentive programs have also helped to supplement this, and now NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence (BOE) Awards, a first-of-its-kind competition is spurring further innovation. In the interest of full disclosure, our company Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) has been the architect on seven BOE winners in the first two rounds of the program, and there are many more wonderful projects out there. Taken together, these efforts are setting new standards for multifamily residential development. Given the prevalence of the typology and its typical carbon contribution, a paradigm shift is critical if we are to find our way to a sustainable future.

Particularly promising is the emerging understanding around things like costs, embodied carbon measures and the ways in which resident health fits into all of this.

With very tight development budgets and operating proforma, affordable housing developers and funders are sensitive to costs. Getting everyone at the table comfortable with a new system or material or building technique can be a challenge, however, the learning and knowledge sharing happening in our field is exciting. And that’s why for our Rheingold Senior Residence, a BOE Round I winner, we priced two sustainability scenarios – Passive House and an alternate which aimed at slightly less efficient standards. In the end, we found the

MAP Project EUI Compared to Code EUI Rheingold Senior

Source EUI (kBTU/sf/yr)

Linden 3

2050 Grand Concourse

120

DeKalb Commons

Linden 2

The Rise

Cooper Park

100 80

60

40

20

0 2011

2012

2013

Code EUI

2014

2015

Mean Source EUI MAP Projects

2016

2017

Project (Source EUI)

2018

2019

2020

BOE Winning Project (Source EUI)

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

BOE Winning Project (Site EUI)

EUI Chart with MAP BoE Winners

While the two concepts can be at odds, as some of the materials we use to ensure energy performance can have high embodied carbon, the EC3 tool and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) can go a long way toward helping to maintain a balance. There are many manufacturers offering low embodied carbon options that, regardless of the relative novelty are coming to the market at cost parity – because they see the need and it makes good business sense. We are finding that simply reserving some time to have the conversation with suppliers is enough to stack up the lower options now and achieve 20-30% cost neutral reductions in total global warming impacts.

Rheingold Senior Residence Rendering

incremental cost to move to Passive House was only 1%. While the building would have had many of the essential components of a Passive House building anyway, the exercise proved that the cost differential wasn’t nearly as great as the common industry assumptions at the time.

As cost and logistical concerns have lessened, strategies to limit operational carbon have become much more mainstream and it is encouraging to see many in the field now turn attention toward embodied carbon as a critical component in the overall carbon neutrality picture. If the critical time horizon for substantial progress on climate action is short, say less than 10 years to get to 2030 goals and avoid critical tipping points, then embodied carbon plays an outsized role in emissions impact, because embodied carbon is entirely emitted at the very beginning of the project, whereas the operational carbon is expended over a much longer period.

We also approach projects with a set of strategies to design efficiently, using less material where we can. This speaks to another takeaway regarding building size: the larger and taller the building the more substantial certain components need to be (think foundations) and therefore the more embodied carbon they carry. The balance thus becomes more precarious.

That’s not a knock on high-rise developments, just an important point for consideration. At the same time, we are also seeing evidence that mid-rise buildings like Rheingold, and our Dekalb Commons and The Rise, which are Passive House, Round 2 BOE winners, fall into a density that looks to be rather successful in terms of emissions at the individual building and even city-wide scale.

Still, environmental justice isn’t only about quantities of carbon emitted, it’s about addressing the health impacts associated with what, where and how, we build. There’s so much to unpack in that topic area, but one example is building electrification and indoor air quality. Just like cars, buildings that run on fossil fuels pollute the air around them. That’s true not just for building-wide systems but inside people’s homes continued on page 16

SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 15

too. The fumes from gas appliances like stoves increase the levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air. This effectively pollutes the air inside the home environment and increases the rates of respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis, as well as cardiovascular disease. These emissions also contribute to degraded outdoor air quality impacting health throughout the neighborhood. By going all electric, we can remove fossil fuel combustion on-site. Off-site emissions are certainly a concern as well, however, as our grid becomes cleaner with more and more renewable sources, we need systems that can take advantage of that cleaner energy.

Dekalb Commons

Other health related concerns within a building include the material choices we make. There has been mounting evidence for a long time that toxic forever chemicals and their “regrettable substitutes” cause a whole host of disease and serious illness, so we consciously seek healthier materials particularly for high-touch, high-traffic areas and surfaces including paints, primers, caulks, flooring, etc. Often materials that are better for the environment are better for people too, but just like with embodied carbon there are many caveats, so asking for transparency through the use of Health Product Declarations (HPDs) is critical to doing this right.

Ensuring a healthy, sustainable, and equitable future for all of us is the urgent, all-important work of our time, and architects have an essential role to play. Look to the buildings, methods, strategies, and ideas of affordable housing here in New York, and then let’s build something truly beautiful. l

The Rise

Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) is a purpose-driven architecture firm centered on socially responsible housing and community development. Our design approach prioritizes inclusivity, quality, sustainability, and health; and begins with the understanding that everyone deserves beautiful, safe, supportive communities.

Authors: Matt Scheer is MAP’s Director of Communications and Sara Bayer is the firm’s Director of Sustainability and an Associate Principal.

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4

A RESILIENT THOUGHT By: Tom Reynolds, PE, Silman

B

efore I started to write this article, I actually Googled “Can you write an article in the first person?” The results were mixed; most said it depends on the editor or the tone of the publication. Well, this publication encourages free thinking, deep thought, and new and exciting ways to approach a challenge (in my humble opinion). I’m going for it – I think it makes for a compelling story.

I’m sitting on the train as I write this, returning from a day trip to Washington, D.C. About two hours ago, I sent my nine-year-old son a picture of the U.S. Capitol Building. My first thought as I took the picture (aside from observing the police barriers surrounding it at street level) was that it is set way up high from the ground level. The setting of the building on its perch led me to think about how resilient the structure would be during a major climate event (I’m an “enginerd” – we like this stuff). Juxtapose that siting with the ever-present need for designers to create buildings that serve the public’s need and can withstand the effects of a permanently evolving climate and you have one potential solution to a serious problem.

The problem is the word “resiliency;” it’s become a buzzword in the AEC industry, but its significance is much greater. Designing for resilience is a real and important part of the approach to any new and existing structures, especially in the coastal and low-lying areas of the Northeast. Climate events, not just past but in the very near future, have caused and will continue to cause flooding and major damage in coastal and inland areas throughout New York State. The example I’m going to

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present likely isn’t the first or last time you’ll read about a solution of this kind, but it may prove unique and adaptable to similar challenges.

Complex problems often have straightforward solutions. I’m a huge fan of the K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle - it was one of the first things that Robert Silman, founder of the firm I work for, taught me. I find that frequently the easiest solutions can solve the greatest number of problems and are often cost effective and buildable. The siting of new and existing buildings has become a key part of the process, especially considering the ever-changing building code-prescribed flood elevations embedded in current design standards. One way to make an existing structure adaptable to climate change, or develop a new building, is to raise it. When you start from scratch at the beginning of the design process, this can be a simpler part of the process; you can build the building on stilts or work with landscape architects and civil engineers to raise the building grade above the design flood elevation. What do you do if it’s an existing building? What do you do if the current ground-floor slab is multiple feet below the code-prescribed design flood elevation? You raise it.

Raising an existing building isn’t a new concept—a stroll around Breezy Point in Queens or through any neighborhood on the east end of Long Island would showcase many existing and in-construction residences raised above the current design flood elevation, most likely out of necessity after the effects of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. What about raising a public building, with an existing concrete joist-framed roof and an existing

Figure 1: Existing slab and roof framing with proposed new slab elevation and raised roof slab. Credit: LEVENBETTS

“ The siting of new and existing buildings has become a key part of the process, especially considering the ever-changing building code-prescribed flood elevations embedded in current design standards. ” ground-floor slab below the design flood elevation? There is a one-story public building in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn that sits within an AE flood zone, with a ground-floor slab that is 3’-6” feet below the design flood elevation set by FEMA and the New York City Building Code. The public use of the building requires it to be dry-floodproofed (meaning the designers need to create a waterproof box and divert potential flood waters away from the interior of the structure). The brutalist approach is to build concrete walls around the building with the top of the wall at the design flood elevation and to create a bunker so that no water gets inside; the problem is no light gets inside either and as a result, no one wants to go inside the building at all (and this is why engineers need architects).

I believe that the solution is to raise the ground-floor slab and the existing roof. Raising the ground-floor slab is a bit of misnomer; holding down the hydrostatic pressure from flood loads so that the building doesn’t float away with a whole lot of additional concrete would be far more accurate. Simply put, the design team proposed adding a new, much heavier slab at the ground floor to push floodwater back down when it tries to push up from under the existing slab.

Figure 1 above shows the trickier part of the equation. As noted above, the design flood elevation and proposed top of the exterior flood wall is 3’-6” above the top of the existing slab which would leave less than 4’ of space from the top of the exterior flood wall to the underside of the existing girders, as well as less than 6’-0” from the top of the new slab to the underside of the existing framing, neither of which are desirable. The designers proposed raising the existing roof by 6’-2 ¾” to create the necessary head clearance in the interior and the desired aesthetic on the exterior. The result is a flood-resilient structure that provides the light and access required by the Red Hook constituents who will use and fund upgrades to the existing building. continued on page 20

SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 19

Figure 2: Rendering of the exterior of the dry-floodproofed building. Note the flood wall at the base of the exterior window at the center of the picture.

Credit: LEVENBETTS

Simple solutions can still be elegant (claims the engineer). The rendering shown in Figure 2 above (the project isn’t built yet) shows what the renovated, flood-resilient building will look like. The casual observer would never know the gymnastics the design team went through so that this building could remain functional after a severe climate event. Building designers are faced with similar challenges every day; the solution presented here isn’t ground-breaking, but it is cost-effective, buildable, and is one straightforward way to create resiliency in a range of building types. l

Thomas Reynolds, received his BS in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College and has been a structural engineer at Silman since 2005. Tom has worked on some of Silman’s most high profile projects including the Krause Gateway Center, the Laboratory Medicine Building for MSKCC and multiple public works projects throughout New York City.

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5

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

by Tannia Chavez, Int’l AIA

Angela O’Byrne, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP Tannia Chavez, Int’l Assoc. AIA

Tannia Chavez, Int’l Assoc. AIA, interviewed Angela O’Byrne, FAIA, after she evacuated New Orleans in preparation for Hurricane Ida. President of an 80+ year old international design-build-develop firm Perez, APC, headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a successful branch in New York City, Angela champions the principles of smart growth in communities worldwide. The firm strives to design, build, and develop resilient communities where people thrive. This interview shares her recent experience while located within the hurricane’s eye and discusses her experience and approach to international projects.

GOOD MORNING, ANGELA, I AM GLAD THAT YOU ARE SAFE! HOW HAVE THE PAST 24 HOURS BEEN FOR YOU? After learning that Hurricane Ida was one of the most destructive storms since 1850, I decided to evacuate New Orleans to better help others. Many do not have electricity and the wastewater treatment plant, sewers and gas stations will soon be down. The good news is, the hospitals are back on line as the utility company was able to provide them with power and my side yard is being used as a staging area for people to be fed and get some supplies.

“It’s hard to focus on work right now, I have to refocus my priorities for a few days.”

YOUR FIRM IS AN INDUSTRY LEADER IN DISASTER RECOVERY, WAS THIS ALWAYS PART OF YOUR VISION AND MISSION? The firm was founded in 1940 by the father of the gentleman who hired me, August Perez. I do not believe it was the founding mission, but it became a clear focus for us because Hurricane Katrina was so devastating to our city. At the time, I was President of AIA New Orleans and was up to my eyeballs in assisting people through programs, helping our members but primarily staying involved with the whole community.

Leadership Team at Perez APC, a woman-owned firm.

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DID DISASTER RESPONSE LEAD YOU TO OPEN BRANCHES AROUND THE GLOBE? Yes. After Hurricane Katrina, I decided to open branches to be more resilient in the face of both natural and economic disasters. It gives my staff a place to work from regardless of the ups and downs in our headquarters city.

Power was lost in Mew Orleans after the electrical grid failed as a result of Hurricane Ida.” Source: NPR; Photographer: Scott Olsen

One of Perez’ teams in the Middle East.

As a company, we stay focused on resiliency and sustainability, so our business model is continually evolving. Since technology has changed, so have we. Perez no longer needs so many brick-and-mortar branches. We go to where the projects are, not so much where our clients are sitting.

on a dormitory at the American University of Afghanistan for 200 women, so they did not need to commute, and it would be safer to study.

We keep all our design models in the cloud in case we need to evacuate again, and work is done effectively from anywhere.

Due to COVID-19, this has proven to be the most effective model. We can use technology to meet with our clients wherever they are and wherever we are. So now Perez offices are where we have active projects: LA, NY, OR, TX, and South Sudan. We closed our Zambia office recently after we finished that project.

YOU ARE A LICENSED ARCHITECT IN 20 STATES, A GENERAL CONTRACTOR IN THREE STATES, AND HAVE A LEED CERTIFICATION, WHAT LED YOU TO OBTAIN ALL THESE CREDENTIALS? After Katrina, a client asked us to work on a LEED design-build project. As the contractors, we managed to get our first GC license and that’s how it all began. Since then, we’ve built 50 projects, several designed by our firm. My Masters Degree in Real Estate Development also helped with the design-build approach for Federal Government projects in various states including New York and New Jersey; the LEED certification was a natural progression.

YOU ARE A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION, WHEN DID IT START? My company worked in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2017. We did many projects there, in some cases as the prime design-builder, in others the subcontractor to a prime called Technologists Inc. Then I witnessed women’s oppression - luckily not for everyone! There are many families in favor of their women being educated. A big part of the American mission was to make education available to young girls and women. We worked on a high school project in which the principal mentioned that the girls were at risk of coming to the school and could get murdered, even for wearing a school uniform. Later, we worked

I have read that 70 % of the population was born after the war started with America. The young population always had some choice, the ability to go to school, and social media. It will be hard to control the country, especially the women, the way they did before - I only hope the best for them.

I believe because of Perez being a woman-owned firm, we attract a lot of women - but of course, we have great guys too!

There is a good mix of staff right now; the leadership in the company is primarily women, but it has more to do with the employees. Our company’s culture is gender blind and color blind; we only hire the best people for the job.

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN HURRICANE SEASON IS APPROACHING? There is always some trepidation surrounding what might occur each hurricane season. Every time a tropical storm or hurricane hits our city, we learn valuable lessons about how to handle it better the next time. Every storm causes a new and different type of damage.

This time, the levees held with no massive flooding, but the electrical grid was destroyed. Eight high transmission towers failed, causing over 900,000 people to be left without electricity. For future protection, the infrastructure must be installed underground, even if it’s an expensive measure. It’s fundamental to design and build for these circumstances, especially when we know they are coming (and seemingly more often).

Nowadays, the Building Codes are much more strict, which helps to build safer communities.

WHAT IS YOUR LESSON LEARNED FROM ALL THE PREVIOUS HURRICANES AND NATURAL DISASTERS? I learned to be prepared to evacuate! Being safe enables me to support my family, friends, and all those that must stay. continued on page 24 SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 23

My design practice emphasizes that rebuilding affected areas must prioritize hurricane resistance. For several years, we have been raising the utilities, equipment, and first floors above the base flood elevation. All these lessons were learned from New York City after Hurricane Sandy. It’s crucial to build a more sustainable future and more resilient cities.

HOW HAS YOUR TRAVEL AND WORK ABROAD INFORMED YOUR DESIGN PROCESS? IS EVERY PROJECT SOLVED DIFFERENTLY? DO YOU HAVE ANY UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES FOR DESIGN? When working overseas, we try to maintain the same standards that we have here in the US., which tend to be higher than in the countries we commonly build.

Many regulations adopted by our building codes are not possible to follow in foreign countries. For example, if the client cannot operate and maintain a fire-sprinkler system, our approach is to install an older version - we have used fire hoses in some cases. Most countries do not have a fire department responding to disasters, making it pointless to install an alarm system. It’s challenging, and we must find ways to adapt! It’s indispensable to get them to the most resilient point, always considering the local skill sets available for operation and maintenance.

Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Avondale, LA

ability. The systems in the building are more exposed. For example, you can see what’s happening with the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. Some walls have plaques explaining the building’s systems. The academy’s building process explanation became part of their science curriculum.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS AS AN ARCHITECT MEAN TO YOU AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR LEGACY? These are big questions! Success for me is to design projects that serve our clients but primarily the end-users of these buildings. A broad audience needs to thrive in the newly developed communities. It means being financially capable of taking care of our employees, ensuring that they are getting a living wage to enjoy life and take care of their families.

Often, we do public work in very disinvested neighborhoods, which most likely are in environmentally challenging locations.

I like to think about what we can do to socially impact a community, acting as catalysts to help them develop and improve over time. For example, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit located in Zambia was intended to reduce the infant mortality rate, which is very high in the region. It was very moving to see how committed the Zambians were to the University Teaching Hospital. The staff is one neonatal practitioner for the entire country (fortunate to be trained in South Africa), one biomedical engineer trained in China, and maybe ten nurses.

Andrew P. Sanchez & Copelin-Byrd Multi-Service Center, New Orleans, LA

CAN YOU SHARE A PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT IS ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO YOUR HEART, KNOWING THAT SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE WERE ACCOMPLISHED? Wow, that’s a difficult question! It’s like which is your favorite child?

One of my favorite projects is the Andrew P. Sanchez & Copelin-Byrd Multi-Service Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

That area did not have a community center for ten years after Hurricane Katrina. President Obama came to the building to give a speech on the 10th anniversary of the hurricane when it opened. From the design perspective, it’s a beautiful building, and serves its community well.

Another is the Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, also located in New Orleans. It’s LEED Silver accredited and built in a way that teaches the students about sustain-

PAGE 24 | SEPTEMBER 2021

The Zambian philosophy is to serve their country, even with very few resources. They truly work under-resourced, but nothing stops them!

My legacy would be that exact definition of success: built projects that have a lasting impact on their communities and leave them better than how we found them. That’s my goal, and I know it’s the goal of everyone that works at Perez!

HOW DO YOU STAY COMMITTED TO EVERYTHING YOU DO AND STILL HAVE A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? I love what I do! It’s easy when it doesn’t feel like work! And being paid to do what you love is a true privilege. Secondly, I come from a Latin family (very close-knit), so it comes naturally to take care of each other.

During the past year, I started spending more time with my family, eating healthier, meditating more, doing yoga, and hiking. I am now preparing to hike the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Since my city is temporarily down with no power, I might do it now!

Over the past year, Angela started to hike for more work-life balance.

She is currently preparing to hike El Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James, is a network of pilgrims’ ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the saint are buried.

There is only so much that you can control, so I try to keep it all in perspective by laughing a lot and watching good comedies.

WHAT STEPS CAN THE EMERGING PROFESSIONALS TAKE TODAY TO CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FUTURE? Technology keeps changing everything - technology is the key! Learn what’s coming next and stay on top of your game. Learn how to use big data, 3D, and 4D printing in your design process.

I think it’ll help new projects to stay on budget, making it easier for designs to be more resilient and reduce the effects of climate change.

As the younger generation, this responsibility is now in your hands! l

Westbeth Artists’ Housing | Located at a Hudson River-front location, the historic Bell Telephone Laboratories building at 55 Bethune Street in the Far West Village was converted to affordable live/work housing for artists nearly 50 years ago. https://westbeth.org/wordpress/about/history/

A team member from the Perez office in New York states: “I've spoken with the General Manager and GC at Westbeth Artists' Housing. There were no damage pictures taken during Hurricane Ida at Westbeth. The event happened after the crews had left for the day.

When they returned in the morning, everything was dry, and there was nothing to report. All of the Build it Back flood resiliency implementations performed as intended. Most of the implementations are not visible because Westbeth is a national and NYC landmark. The window fenestrations at ground level have received interior mounted flood panels as those locations were where Sandy waters first penetrated the building and proceeded to flood 70,000 square feet of the basement. The design intent was to relocate most of the equipment above the 12' Design Flood Elevation and make watertight what could not be relocated. There are two interior flood doors to protect Fire Sprinkler equipment in the basement that could not be relocated.”

SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 25

Tannia Chavez, Int’l Assoc. AIA, is a Licensed Architect in her home country, Ecuador. She is a Project Manager at OMFPE Consulting in New York City. Tannia founded AIA Brooklyn’s Women in Architecture Committee in 2019 and is currently serving as New York Regional Associate Director to the AIA National Associates Committee.

President of an 80+ year old international design-build-develop firm Perez, APC headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a successful branch in New York City that has just celebrated its 15 year anniversary. Angela O’Byrne champions the principles of smart growth in communities worldwide. The firm strives to design, build, and develop resilient communities where people thrive. Born in Cali, Colombia, Angela earned a Master of Architecture from Tulane University and Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University. She has since become a licensed architect in twenty states, a licensed general contractor in three states, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a LEED Accredited Professional. Her 40 years of experience in design and management of diverse project types includes multi-unit housing, hospitality, recreation, master planning, historic renovations, education, government buildings, LEED certified projects, military construction, and more.

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SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 27

CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF ENTERPRISE RESILIENCE A hallmark of a resilient enterprise in today’s complex, hybrid work environment is its ability to respond to critical events in a timely and effective manner.

The policies and procedures define the enterprise’s many functions that must be part of its response. Since it is not practical to accurately define a critical event, these policies and procedures must focus on the highest priority functions of the enterprise with as few assumptions as possible regarding the security systems and infrastructure that will be available to it.

For many enterprises, it’s a challenge to ensure that its local systems and infrastructure can be resilient in the presence of critical events without significant investments in redundant, non-collocated resources that may be expensive for many enterprises. Enterprises are becoming more dependent on shared systems and infrastructure to provide even critical functions. This has the obvious disadvantage that the enterprise itself can’t directly enhance the resilience of shared infrastructure.

However, most of these shared resources are already more resilient than it is economically possible for most enterprises to implement on a local basis. Additionally, major shared infrastructure resources [e.g., power, Internet service providers, and cloud service providers] offer the ability to provide enhanced resilience at incremental service costs.

When the infrastructure and policy are properly implemented, it’s the people present that can enable an enterprise to meet its obligations in the presence of critical events.

Since people represent an extremely significant component of the resources that any enterprise requires to function, efforts to enhance the resilience of the enterprise’s people must represent a significant aspect of its efforts to improve its organizational resilience.

PAGE 28 | SEPTEMBER 2021

For example, the 7th largest school district in California has 60 schools with approximately 50,000 students and over 4500 employees. They need a powerful security and operations solution that was able to increase situational awareness and minimize response time. Their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) needs to be informed of missing people, dangerous situations, property damage, and more.

They chose Maxxess InSite to provide private, two-way, managed messaging and intel on a more personal and intuitive level. The solution leverages the power of smart mobile devices to maintain comprehensive communications and emergency management operations provide a trusted messaging system between an enterprise and its people that can provide controlled, confident connections that can enable the people not only to respond to the enterprise’s needs, but the enterprise to respond to the people’s needs as well.

Their main uses for the system were response coordination to broadcast mass notifications to quickly monitor staff status, communicate with staff members in an organized manner, and help first responders communicate effectively. The other aspect they needed was situational awareness. The InSite system allows emergency messages to transmit GPS location to activate the closest camera view for responders. The school district was also given the opportunity to train staff using InSite’s simulation tools to create training scenarios.

They were able to create procedures, implement infrastructure, and then train the necessary people to create a resilient enterprise.

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Updates construction industry, and legislative leadership, a compromise emerged in the final month of Legislative Session and a finished product passed both houses. The reduction of embodied carbon in building materials is a pillar of the AIA’s Climate Plan and will continue to be at the forefront of AIANYS climate advocacy efforts moving forward.

Government Advocacy The successive crises borne out of the disruption and upheaval of the past year and a half highlighted the power of perseverance, adaptability, and rational perspective in the face of multi-faceted challenges. AIANYS members successfully tuned out the static and distractions to support COVID-19 recovery aid for members, while maintaining a steadfast focus on strategic priorities. Despite the all-consuming and ubiquitous nature of the pandemic, AIANYS remained engaged and vigilant on a variety of issues facing the profession and the built environment.

AIANYS assumed the mantle and debate surrounding school safety with the successful introduction of the Safe Schools by Design Act, aimed at unifying policymakers around the power of design in making our schools both safe and welcoming learning environments. This bill made strides in its first year as a two-house proposal, gaining sponsors and stoking the intrigue of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. The campaign was complemented by a four-part education series “Reimagining School Design,” which brought together architects, educators, administrators, safety experts, psychologists, and other stakeholders to examine ways to shift the school environment paradigm toward a more holistic approach to address safety and student well-being.

AIANYS was intimately involved in discussions over a bill to require the use of low embodied carbon concrete on state projects. The initial version of the bill, put forth by a subsidiary of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), would have instituted a sliding scale of bid discounts for offerors based on an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the proposed concrete mix.

Members of the AIANYS Government Advocacy Committee were concerned with the use of bid discounts based on unrefined criteria and called for the state’s use of a standard specification to ensure transparency and general understanding of bidder expectations. Acting in concert with allies in the design and

PAGE 30 | SEPTEMBER 2021

While AIANYS continued to address multiple policy fronts at the state-level, the launch of the first ever Local Advocacy program moved forward in the background. Months upon months of listening sessions, training, and preparation laid the foundation for legislative meetings across the state between local AIA components and their state legislative representatives. These meetings provided an opportunity for members to unify around statewide priorities and a medium to discuss issues specific to their respective regions. In some cases, the conversations led to offers from state legislators to participate in public forums centered on topics of local interest.

Despite the hardships caused by the pandemic, AIANYS delivered on behalf of members and represented them at a high level. AIANYS staff and volunteer leadership continue to be the shield against policies which seek to harm the profession and the tip of the spear in matters related to advocacy. As obstacles and challenges continue to accumulate within the design and construction sphere, it will be imperative for more members to stand up, speak out, and join other engaged members in the campaigns to advance the priorities of the profession and elevate the role of design in the future of New York state.

Communications & Public Awareness Communication Vehicles | Eighteen issues of the e-news digital newsletter have been published since the beginning of the year. With 8,000 active subscribers and a 99% delivery rate, the YTD open rate is 64% and the YTD click rate is 4%.

Over the third quarter (July 1 - September 15), 60 email campaigns were sent out to members, non-members, allied partners and potential sponsors totaling 420,882 sends; 81,347 opens and 2,885 clicks. The open rate was 20% (9% above industry avg.) and the click rate was 4% (3% above industry avg.).

The second issue of the quarterly publication, published at the end of June, received 1,045 impressions and 348 reads.

Disaster Assistance Resource Guide | The Disaster Assistance Resource Guide will serve as a resource for chapters and members to better understand their role in preparing for and responding to disasters throughout New York State. The Disaster Assistance Resource Guide Work Group, led by Tim Boyland, AIA and comprised of volunteer members, have been working together to develop a draft of the handbook.

A first draft was shared on April 22, 2021 with Illya Azaroff, FAIA; the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Tony DiBrita, Esq.; and Georgi Ann Bailey, CAE for initial review and comment.

On August 26, feedback on the first draft was received and the work group was reactivated. Action Items include: • Review of Preliminary Draft Warnings/Disclaimers developed for inclusion in the Resource Guide; • All source(s) in the draft need to be cited and permission granted (where applicable)to avoid copyright infringement.

A copyright attorney may need to be retained.

• The Master Document of the first draft was updated to include comments and was shared with the group for review.

• Image assets are being collected from the work group members for possible inclusion in the Resource Guide.

• Further discussion needs to take place prior to the release of this Resource Guide to determine what needs to be done to minimize the risk of litigation.

Emerging Professionals After a quiet summer, the emerging professionals have a busy fall and winter ahead. On October 13, the EP’s will be hosting the first of their quarterly Virtual Town Halls. EP leadership from each Chapter will provide updates about the activities within their own local chapters. Idea sharing and problem solving across the state will help enhance these activities.

With a new semester upon us, in partnership with AIA’s Component Matching Scholarship Grant Program, the EP’s will be launching both the John A. Notaro Memorial Scholarship for students enrolled in an NAAB accredited program in New York State and the newly developed Scholarship program offering funds for students enrolled in architecture programs within community colleges.

The 2021 Burton L. Roslyn, FAIA Memorial Scholarship, will provide a one-time reimbursement for the cost of passing each single division of the ARE. Plans for 2022 are underway, identifying what the EP’s want to do next year in alignment with the strategic plan. They will be selecting 3-4 strategies to focus on and are currently developing the initiatives we will use to meet these goals.

The goal is to release the first edition of the handbook in 2021.

Honor Awards Program Review | The Honor Awards Task Force has been established to review the current nomination process, submittal guidelines and awards and propose revisions in order to enhance and improve the program. The Task Force reconvened on September 9 to discuss next steps to implement updates to the following three (3) awards: 1) the James William Kideney Gold Medal Award; 2) the Matthew W. DelGaudio Service Award; and 3) the AIANYS Firm Award. The Honor Awards celebration will occur during the week of December 13 (exact date and time tbd).

General Communications & Awareness |

Communication and outreach included the development of a press release announcing the 2021 Design Award recipients.

Twenty-four projects were recognized for Citation, Merit, Honor and High Honor Awards in the following categories: Adaptive Reuse/Historic Preservation, Commercial/Industrial, Institutional, Interiors, International, Pro Bono Projects, Residential, Sole Practitioner, Unbuilt and Urban Planning/Design. The recipients will be honored at a virtual award ceremony on October 27, 2021

Video Campaigns | AIANYS has committed to increasing

our video marketing efforts as part of our campaigns. The “Blueprint for Better” video narrated by Illya Azaroff, FAIA, 2021 AIANYS President, that thanks our member volunteers for their service and efforts surrounding the pandemic over the last 15+ months was released to the full membership through various channels in early July. You may view the video here https://youtu.be/edw4P3tEmDY

Education Members continue to take advantage of our virtual education offerings throughout the year. To date, AIANYS has offered six webinars, a four-part Re-Imagining School Design Symposium, two Safety Assessment Programs and 20 bi-weekly Oldcastle APG University programs. More than 800 members have attended these programs.

This year’s webinars included: February 3, 2021 | Alternative Forms of Contract: A Practical Guide to Architectural Agreements presented by David Kosakoff, Esq, of Kosakoff Cataldo LLP and Michael Spinelli, Esq. of Nassau Suffolk Engineering & Architecture, PLLC March 30, 2021 | Returning to the Workplace: Considerations for Employers During the COVID-19 Pandemic presented

by Haley Dryer, Esq. and Thomas Wassel, Esq. of Cullen and Dykman LLP April 9, 16, 23 & 30 | Re-Imagining School Design: Adaptation & Transformation of Healthy Learning Environments May 4, 2021 | How Your Firm Can Work with DASNY on Small Projects featured Sandy Daigler of DASNY moderating a panel discussion with Terrence O’Neal, FAIA of tonab architecture pllc, Bart Trudeau, AIA of Trudeau Architects pllc, David J. Meyer, PE of Pathfinder Engineers & Architects and from DASNY Chris Currey, Kara Mallard, Michael Clay, and John Savona, AIA, BD-C, Architect, DASNY. SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 31

May 18, 2021 | How to Think Like a Lawyer presented by David B. Kosakoff, Esq., LEED AP of Kosakoff & Cataldo LLP, and Stephanie Reda, Esq., of Everest Insurance August 3, 2021 | AIANYS, the 13 Local Chapters within New York State and AGC NYS presented an Introduction to Lean Construction & Design presented by Sam Spata, AIA of EXYTE Group, Jason Beach of GLOBAL FOUNDRIES and Kyle Price of WWPS. August 17, 2021 | Hybrid Work Environment Best Practices was presented by the Technology and Culture Discussion groups. It was moderated by Evelyn Lee, FAIA and included program panelists: Jessica Sheridan, AIA, of Mancini Duffy, Diana Nicklaus, AIA of SAAM Architecture and Jennifer L. Massey, SPHR of Integra HR LLC. The Oldcastle APG Online University’s bi-weekly webinar series remains popular with our members. They are provided at no additional cost and offer 1.0 HSW/LU credits. Watch your emails for upcoming programs through the rest of the year.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS Laura Cooney, AIA, will be presenting three “Basic Design by the 2020 Building Codes New York State” programs on October 4 & 6, October 11 & 13, and October 18 & 20. Each session will be held over the course of two days and approved for 7 LU/HSW credits. Registration is open for all three dates.

2021 Virtual Tri-State Conference: “Return to the Future” scheduled for December 8-10 and hosted by AIA New York State, AIA New Jersey and AIA Pennsylvania. After shifting to respond to our member’s immediate needs over the past 18 months, this year’s conference focuses on looking towards the future by returning to the practice of architecture. Sessions will focus on leadership, community and sustainability providing knowledge, insight and tools to assist firms in navigating today’s changing world. Diverse education tracks address starting your own firm, sustainable design, small firm operation strategies, leadership skills and networking opportunities.

Our Keynote speakers will provide entertaining, compelling thought-provoking talks to stimulate conversation. On Thursday, Dr. Moogega Cooper, NASA Planetary Protection Engineer and a real-life guardian of the galaxy will talk about her work and about empowering others to achieve their dreams. On Friday, Anirdan Basu, Chief Economist of the Associated Builders and Contractors brings his vibrant style to provide an entertaining economic forecast. Watch your email for registration and full schedule information.

PAGE 32 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Affordable registration fees will provide members quality education programs at a fair price. Registration fees are: Pre-Conference: AIA Member: $25/person; AIA Associate Member: $25/person Full Conference: Early Bird rates: AIA Member: $135/person; AIA Associate Member: $125/person; After Early Bird rates: AIA Member: $150/person; AIA Associate Member: $140/person Sponsorships and a virtual expo will be made available to companies to support the program and to showcase their products and services. Sponsorships include: • Show Sponsor - $5,500 • Title Sponsorships - $2,500 each • Keynote Presentation - $2,500 per partner or $5,000 exclusive • Promo Swag Box - $2,000 • Happy Hours Sponsor - $750 per company • Digital Platform Sponsor - $500 per company • Supporting Sponsor - $250 per company The virtual expo area will add a new dimension. The Education Station Expo incorporates an educational component as part of a virtual exhibit. It provides companies added visibility and participants with value-added education. Exhibiting companies will develop a 60-minute AIA-approved continuing education session examining how their product can solve a particular design challenge facing architects. These sessions will be scheduled during the conference along with exclusive expo time.

Do you have an innovative, appealing topic that could be developed into a live, interactive program? Contact Mike Cocca, Director of Education & Marketing, mcocca@aianys.org to discuss your topic in more detail. Your input is important to us.

All programs and registration links can be found on the AIANYS website here - https://www.aianys.org/calendar/.

SEPTEMBER 2021 | PAGE 33

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SEPTEMBER ’21 ARCHITECTURE NEW YORK STATE is a quarterly publication developed by AIA New York State, 50 State Street, Albany, NY 12207

For questions, comments and editorial content ideas, contact Robin Styles-Lopez, Director of Communications at rstyles-lopez@aianys.org or 518.449.3334.