YAF CONNECTION 15.02

CONNECTION THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF

THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

JET-SET

This issue focuses on international practice. We will also look at how young architects utilize their skillset across the globe.

Q2- 2017

VOL 15 ISSUE 02

CONNECTION

THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

CONNECTION EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Editor-In-Chief Yu-Ngok Lo, AIA Senior Editor Beth Mosenthal, AIA Senior Editor Ian Merker, AIA Senior Graphic Editor Nicholas Banks, AIA Editor Phillip Anzalone, AIA Editor, International Correspondent Vikki Lew, AIA Contributing Journalist Gabriela Baierle-Atwood, AIA

2017 YAF ADVISORY COMMITTEE Chair Evelyn Lee, AIA Vice Chair Lawrence Fabbronni, AIA Past Chair Joshua Flowers, AIA Advocacy Director Stephen Parker, AIA Communications Director Yu-Ngok Lo, AIA Community Director Shelby Morris, AIA Knowledge Director Ryan McEnroe, AIA Public Relations Director Lora Teagarden, AIA

AIA National Strategic Council Representative College of Fellows Representative AIA Staff Liaison

Jack Morgan, AIA Peter Kuttner, FAIA Milan Jordan, Assoc. AIA

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS 1735 New York Ave, NW Washington, DC 20006-5292

P 800-AIA-3837

www.aia.org

CONNECTION is a the official quarterly publication of the Young Architects Forum of the AIA. This publication is created through the volunteer efforts of dedicated Young Architect Forum members.

Copyright 2017 by The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.

Views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and not those of the American Institute of Architects. Copyright © of individual articles belongs to the Author. All image permissions are obtained by or copyright of the Author.

ON THE COVER: Youth Hostel of iD Town

by O-office Architects.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Yu-Ngok Lo, AIA

PRESIDENT’S NOTE

Thomas Vonier, FAIA

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Evelyn Lee, AIA

STRATEGIC COUNCIL – EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Jack Morgan, AIA

YAF AD-COM MESSAGES - ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY

Stephen Parker, AIA, and Shelby Morris, AIA

LEADERSHIP PROFILE – JEFF PASTVA

Beth Mosenthal, AIA

2017 LATROBE PRIZE

Jeff Pastva, AIA, and Yu-Ngok Lo,AIA

A’17 ORLANDO RECAP AIA RELATED TOPICS INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE An Interview with Steven Miller

THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER OF THE AIA

An Interview with the AIA UK Chapter

GET THE LEGAL HELP YOU NEED

An Interview with Andrew Croft of Beale & Company

AIA CONTRACT DOCUMENT – INTERNATIONAL FAMILY

Yu-Ngok Lo, AIA

PRACTICING IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE

An Interview with the AIA Europe Chapter

INTERNATIONAL PROJECT SMARTS

The AIA International Practice Committee's Primer Update

U.S. BASED GLOBAL PRACTITIONERS MICHAEL GRAVES ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN Yu-Ngok Lo

THE CANADIAN MARKET

An Interview with PERKINS+WILL, Toronto / Ottawa

JIANGXI NANCHENG GREENLAND ZIFENG TOWER

Vikki Lew, AIA

LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM - ORLI+ AND ARCHITECT-US

Alex Alaimo, AIA

WEAVING INT'L WORK IN YOUR ARCHITECTURAL CAREER

Lucas Gray, Assoc. AIA

EMERGING PRACTICES OVERSEAS HIDDEN CITIES - O-OFFICE

Vikki Lew, AIA

EVOLVED ARCHITECTURAL ECLECTIC

An Interview with Chris Woo-Hyun Cho, AIA, of Theeae

CHINESE ENTREPRENEUR

An Interview with Yonder Design Studio

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARTICULATION OF SPACE Esteban Beita

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS OVERSEAS WORKING ABROAD AND LICENSING PROCESS Gabriela Baierle-Atwood, AIA

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS GO GLOBAL

A Conversation with Andrew King, AIA

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTHCARE DESIGN

Stephen Parker, AIA

2017 LATE PRIZE #YAFchat

Lora Teagarden, AIA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT

Corey Clayborne, AIA

05 06 07 08 09 10 12 16

See more in this issue's feature on this project starting on page 60

YOUNG ARCHITECTS AWARD VISUAL DIARY

24 28 30 31 32 34

SESSION RECAP: TH311 – INTRODUCING THE GLOBAL PRACTICE PRIMER AND FR 416 – INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE: A PRIMER FOR EMERGING PROFESSIONALS

38 46 50 54 56 60 64 68 72 74 76 78 80 84 Q2- 2017

VOL 15 ISSUE 02

v

JET SET CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTING EDITORS YU-NGOK LO, AIA

is the principal of YNL Architects, Inc. He is the Communication Director of the Young Architects Forum National Advisory Committee of the AIA and the Editor-In-Chief of the YAF official publication CONNECTION. Lo is a recipient of the 2016 AIA Young Architects Award.

BETH MOSENTHAL, AIA

has worked as an architect in Shanghai, New York, Chicago, and currently in Denver with AndersonMasonDale Architects.

She serves as a Senior Editor of YAF CONNECTION, Senior Editor/ Writer for the AIA Colorado Emerging Professionals Blog, and as a columnist for the Colorado Real Estate Journal’s Building Dialogue Magazine.

IAN MERKER, AIA

is an architect at Rainforth Grau Architects in Sacramento, CA, specializing in the education sector. He is Film Curator for AIA Central Valley and a former YAF Regional Director.

NICHOLAS BANKS, AIA

is an architect for the education studio of Corgan in Houston, TX. He is the chair of the Intern and Associate network for AIA Houston, where he encourages local associates along the path to licensure. He has been a contributor to YAF CONNECTION for over three years

PHILLIP ANZALONE, AIA

is a Partner of the Brooklyn based form Atelier Architecture 64, and a Professor of Architectural Technology at the New York City College of Technology. Anzalone is serving as the New York Regional Director of the Young Architects Forum for 2015 and 2016, and has focused his endeavors on the connection between education and practice. Prior appointments include directing the building science and technology sequence at Columbia University’s GSAPP, facade consultant at R.A. Heintges and Associates and architectural designer at Greg Lynn Form.

VIKKI LEW, AIA

began her architectural career in San Francisco and started practicing internationally in 2006. Her diverse portfolio includes healthcare, university, residential, financial institute, retail, mixed-use, super-highrise, and master planning. She is a Board member of AIA Hong Kong.

GABRIELA BAIERLE ATWOOD, AIA

is an architect with Arrowstreet in Boston, MA. She is currently serving as Architect Licensing Advisor for both the AIA Massachusetts and NCARB. She continues her involvement by being a member of the Boston Society of Architects and their Emerging Professionals Network, BosNOMA and MakeTANK committees.

EDITOR'S NOTE

JET SET

VENTURING INTO THE GLOBAL REALM

W

elcome to the Q2 2017 issue of CONNECTION! This issue is dedicated to international practice topics that are relevant to emerging professionals. Being a small firm practitioner who has worked on international projects myself, conversations about this topic particularly hold my interest.

I started working on my first international project in China in 2013. This experience of working with international clients and contractors certainly broadened my perspective, not to mention the financial incentives that helped me get through the difficult time during the last Great Recession. Social media and various emerging technologies have brought the world a lot closer. I strongly encourage my fellow architects to venture globally — or at least become familiar with the architectural practice of other countries. The time to see the world is when we are young. It is also never too late to build a financial safety net and prepare yourself for the next economic downturn, which could happen in the imminent future.

The stories and conversations we curate in this issue are especially relevant to those who are either practicing architecture overseas or would like to venture into the global market. First, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) related topics series looks at some of the resources AIA offers its membership and how local chapters support young architects licensed in the U.S. practice overseas.

We also interviewed a few architect experts who have focused their entire career on international practice to share their experiences on how to achieve a successful career overseas. Second, we showcased overseas projects completed by U.S.-based firms and firms abroad. By illustrating these projects, we hope to bring to our readers some of the challenges they face working in foreign territories, through the eyes of a small firm and a multinational design firm practice. Last, we looked at the licensing issues for U.S. professionals working overseas and some of the mentorship programs offered abroad. One of our contributing journalists, Gabriela Baierle-Atwood, spoke of her own personal journey of becoming licensed in the U.S. as an international student.

In addition to content relating to the realm of international practices, we welcome articles, news and stories from our emerging professional readers. In this issue, we featured a very interesting story by our advocate director, Stephen Parker, who talks about artificial intelligence in health care design. Although the topic is not directly related to international practice, we decided to include this very interesting comic/article in this issue because we believe it is important to report on the innovative work that young architects are doing all over the world. We also collaborated with the editor of the College of Fellows Newsletter and spoke with the winning team of the 2017 Latrobe Prize to learn more about their research project.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my editorial team for their exceptional work. They really are the driving force behind all of the provocative conversations included in this issue.

Vikki Lew, our international correspondent, played a major role in coordinating international contributors from all over the world and making this issue happen. I would also like to, once again, thank our contributors for their time. I hope you all enjoy this issue and the wisdom behind each conversation. â–

The A’17 Conference on Architecture in Orlando is also being highlighted in this issue. Our editorial team will be reporting on a few sessions that are relevant to international practice presented at the conference. We also spotlighted the 2017 Young Architects Award winners who showcased exceptional achievements at their early age.

Yu-Ngok Lo, AIA is the principal of YNL Architects, Inc. He is the Communication Director of the Young Architects Forum National Advisory Committee of the AIA and the EditorIn-Chief of the YAF official publication CONNECTION. Lo is a recipient of the 2016 AIA Young Architects Award.

Q2 -2017

05

JET SET

AIA PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

TO FIND WORK ABROAD, GO OVERSEAS AND JOB. LOOK FOR A JOB

J

setters—those et setters — thosewealthy, wealthy,beautiful beautiful people people who who travel all over the world, doing things that ordinary people cannot.

Glamorous, carefree, and rich, they have cocktails up in first class, yakking about other famous and beautiful beautiful people, people while fromone oneexotic exoticplace place to another.

They just have flying from to another.

They don’tdon’t just have lives lives—they lifestyles!

— they havehave lifestyles!

Modern architecture is almost unimaginable without the cultural cross-pollination that occurs when people end up working far away from “home.” “home.” Architects Architects from from the theOld OldWorld Worldmoved movedtotothe theU.S. US for opportunity, creating creating aa lasting lasting influence influence on in our earliest buildings and cities. Later, architects arrived here from Europe, fleeing war, fascism and persecution.

This article people who might fly worldwide article isisfor forother otherpeople people…. .for . for people who might fly around but have find get paying work to make happen —paying and with in jets, buttonever much glamour and ithave to find worknot to much make glamour it happen.involved.

One way to land a job outside of the United States is just to go overseas and look for it. That approach banks on the One land a job of theturn United States is to justthat go faith way that to something willoutside eventually up, and fortunately overseas and look for it yourself.

That approach banks on the faith does happen. My first overseas work came during “a little break” that will eventually turntrip up to and, fortunately, that out does fromsomething graduate school, on a “quick” Europe that turned to happen.

My first last for more thanoverseas a year. work came during “a little break” from graduate school, on a “quick” trip to Europe that turned out to last for more year.

A man in than a puba overheard me say that I was “almost finished” with architecture school. After a conversation, he hired me to prepare A man in a drawings pub overheard me saybuilding that I was with renovation for a London he almost owned.finished Six months architecture school. a conversation, he hiredsearch—a me to prepare later—this time, afterAfter a systematic and persistent great renovation drawings for a London owned. months situation materialized with a firm inbuilding Austria.he This early Six experience later — this time, after a systematic and persistent search — a reinforced several key points: great situation materialized with a firm in Austria. This early experience reinforced key points: • Architects tend toseveral have skills that other people do not—the

Foreign influences in our schools and firms have been profound, and they remain remain aafactor factortoday. today.Faculty Facultyfrom members from other other nations, and nations, well asstudents the many foreign who come hereour to the manyasforeign who come students here to study, influence study, our culture, and attitudes. culture,influence our architecture, andarchitecture our attitudes.

•

•

ability to draw, to develop good physical solutions, to prepare • Architects tend to have skills that other people do not coherent plans. We tend to know more than ordinary people — the ability to draw, develop good physical solutions know about how buildings are made. and prepare coherent plans. We tend to know more than ordinary people know about how buildings are made.

These skills have value in many places, even when our

abilities are incomplete or immature. We have special value •These skills have value in many places, even when our if we can to distinguish ourselves from others—say, with abilities are incomplete or immature. We have special special knowledge, language or technical abilities, or cultural value if we can to distinguish ourselves from others experience.

— say, with special knowledge, language or technical abilities or cultural experience.

We have to seek opportunities and ask for chances. We have to show how canopportunities deliver advantage this •We have to we seek and and ask benefits—and for chances. We is not much different from what we have to do throughout our have to show how we can deliver advantage and benefits professional — and this islives. not much different from what we have to do

throughout our professional lives.

Personal connections are always valuable, but drive is probably the most connections important ingredient.

If you have the for work Personal are always valuable, but appetite drive is probably overseas, and the fortitude to persist in its pursuit, you will prevail. the most important ingredient. If you have the appetite for work Those entering today’s global job market are at some advantage: overseas and the fortitude to persist in your quest, you will prevail.

Our communities are more multicultural than ever; global trade in professional services is expanding and exposure to Those entering today’s global job marketwidely; are at some advantage: global perspectives various issues—climate change, Our communities areonmore multicultural than ever, globalhealth, trade resilience, affordable housing—is part ofwidely, a solid and education. in professional services is expanding exposure to global perspectives on various issues — climate change, health, resilience, and affordable housing — is part of a solid education.

Because ofofthisthis history and asand a result by such organizations history, as of a work result of work by such as the International Union of Architects (UIA), architects today(UIA), truly organizations as the Union Internationale des Architectes form an international community, with many members eager to architects today truly form an international community, with many meet and work their global counterparts inclined to offer members eagerwith to meet and work with theirand counterparts from opportunity to those whotoseek elsewhere, and inclined offerit.opportunity to those who seek it.

So, So, ifif you you want want to to work work abroad, abroad, the the challenge challenge is is to to take take careful careful stock of what you can offer, identify those who might be stock of what you can offer, identify those who might be interested interested in in itit,and andcommunicate communicateas as widely widely as as possible possible your your desire desire to to find find aa situation. situation. Your Your aim aim is is not not to to find find the the same same kind kind of of job job in in aa foreign foreign country — and country that that you you could could find findhere; here;your youraim aimisistotofigure figureout out—and then promote — what you can bring to a foreign situation that then promote—what you can carry to a foreign situation that could could not easily be found otherwise. not easily be found otherwise.

The of Architects recently releasedreleased the Globala The American AmericanInstitute Institute of Architects recently Practice Primer, produced by its International Practice Committee, Global Practice Primer, produced by its International Practice which comprises architects engaged in international work all Committee—architects engaged in international work all over the over the globe. This publication has many useful pointers and globe. This publication has many useful pointers and suggestions, suggestions, as well as addresses of organizations, which can as well as addresses of organizations that can provide additional provide additional help to architects seeking cross-border work. help to architects seeking cross-border work.

In our social circles, schools and workplaces, we are very likely to In our social circles, our schools and our workplaces, we are very have friends, teachers, contacts and acquaintances with close ties likely to have friends, teachers, contacts and acquaintances who to countries outside of the United States. In turn, they will know have close ties to countries outside of the United States. In turn, other people — people with whom you can get in touch and express they will know other people, people with whom to get in touch, to your interests and from whom you can seek new prospects. whom you can express your interests, and from whom you can seek new prospects.

If you want to find opportunity abroad, why not begin there? ■ If you want to find opportunity abroad, why not begin there? ■

Thomas Vonier, FAIA is the 2017 president of the American Institute of Architects. He has lived and worked in dozens of countries.

His firm works from bases in Paris and Washington DC for clients with worldwide industrial operations. (the author in 1972, Vienna, Austria)

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CONNECTION

THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

Q2 -2017

05

CHAIR'S MESSAGE

JET SET

INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE

T

he first time I served on the AIA National Board as the associate member representative, Thomas Friedman had just released his soon-to-be international best-selling book, “The World Is Flat.” It was the talk of the town, and if you had not read it or were not able to allude to it in some shape or form, you were missing out on some serious water cooler chatter. The AIA historically had several international chapters, but they were all represented by the Northwest and Pacific Region — which already struggled with a very large physical boundary — including Alaska, Hawaii, Guam/Micronesia, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.

Back then, the term “globalization” got thrown around as much as “innovation” does today, and while I haven’t heard someone directly quote Friedmann’s book in quite sometime, the world continues to flatten.

In late 2012, the AIA added a new International Region, which currently supports six components: the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, the Middle East and Shanghai. Since its founding, the International Region remains the fastest-growing region of the institute. Large firms used their international reach to keep their doors open through the recent Great Recession, and the number of small firms that have found a way to have a global footprint gained attention by winning global design awards. Propel Studio, a small firm of four multidisciplinary designers, finds itself traveling between Portland and Hanoi. Synthesis Design + Architecture, out of Los Angeles, has won multiple awards for its Pure Tension Pavilion, designed for Volvo Car Italia, and earned itself a client role by winning its way through an international design competition. I find myself in a new position with the potential to have a global reach. Studley, my current employer, was acquired by London-based Savills in 2014 and continues to grow its U.S. footprint through additional acquisitions.

AIA Global Practice Primer serves to “highlight the intricacies and differences when it comes to working abroad, including specifics on how international practice generally differs from domestic architectural practice in the US.” The AIA International Practice Committee has a number of other resources available to architect members, including opportunities to earn learning units through AIAU while learning how to practice in different parts of the globe. Another organization, the International Union of Architects (UIA), has a resource that walks practitioners through six blocks of information that are vital to understanding practice on an international level, including statistics, licensure requirements, regulation, practice (services as well as liability and insurance needs), procurement and international practice requirements.

If business school taught me anything, it’s that the best time to make pivotal decisions that can sustain a practice over the long term is when the going is good. This statement especially proves true when you are a part of an industry that is known to be cyclical in nature — like architecture. I realize that many firms across the U.S. find themselves in a situation where they are struggling to discover the talent they need to meet the current demand of their pipeline. If this issue of CONNECTION doesn’t make you think twice about the potential of expanding your firm’s physical footprint to the next country, I hope you use it to celebrate the work of our members that are having a real impact on a global scale. ■

The number of global practices will continue to grow. The question is whether or not you or your firm wants to be a part of that growth.

Among the successes, I have seen an equal number of failures, and expansion into a new market — either locally or internationally — does not come without risks. However, the AIA and its growing global contingent continues to provide opportunities and resources to support the decision-making process. The recent release of the

Evelyn M. Lee, AIA

leads Workplace Strategy for Savills Studley's West Coast offices. She combines her business and architecture background to seamlessly integrate workplace experience with organizational culture and operational strategy. She is the 2017 Chair of the Young Architects Forum National Advisory Committee of the AIA.

Q2 -2017

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STRATEGIC COUNCIL

STRATEGIC COUNCIL NEWS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

G

ood day! As promised in our last Strategic Council News column, it is our intent to share “in progress” work of the Strategic Council. Since our last update, the Strategic Council has zeroed in on the major areas of focus, or study groups, for 2017. The study groups are: • New Urban Agenda – Professional and Constituencies • Public Valuation of Architecture • Architecture Quality Index • Innovative Business Models • Emerging Technologies • Local “Office of the City Architect” Initiative • Architect Life Cycle Much of the work completed by the Strategic Council since Grassroots is the result of webinars and conference calls. However, during the A’17 Conference on Architecture in Orlando, each of the study groups convened for a two-hour work session to further refine the focus of their groups and to begin the process of identifying strategic objectives related to their topic of study.

During each group’s work session, efforts were made to engage as many conference attendees as possible in the work. While some groups’ work generated more spontaneous participation than others, the work product of all of the groups was on display for any attendee to comment upon during the remainder of the conference.

For this news update, I want to focus on the work of one study group: Emerging Technologies. Jessica Sheridan, AIA, one of the AIA’s 2017 Young Architect award winners, is the convener of the Emerging Technologies study group. This study group is focusing its initial efforts on discussing three specific areas: the practice of architecture, the construction process and the effect of technologies on the human psyche.

When we look at how emerging technologies influence the practice of architecture, what

are some of the areas under consideration?

Naturally, the latest software tools utilized by practitioners for developing design solutions, and a prime area of focus and study is documenting those decisions in a set of contract drawings. Other tools include the use of virtual reality for documenting design options and decisions and how using those tools inform all project stakeholders.

Additional areas that affect the design process involve the use of drones to gain insight about a site and its context, which has previously been unavailable. How will this information enlighten the design solutions developed for the client?

Emerging technologies also cast significant influence on the construction process.

With the ability to rapidly prototype building elements, mock-ups of complicated design features can be studied faster and at less cost. The software utilized to document the design is also creating databases that enhance the building community’s ability to considerably reduce the time required for the fabrication and construction of a project.

With such advancements, architects will face interesting decisions regarding the instruments of service. What will drawing sets and specifications look like in the future?

How many drawings does the architect create? How much of the “detail work” is shifted to digital fabricators, consultants and product and material suppliers? How does this change the nature of contracts and the notion of professional liability insurance? The biggest challenge may be how we lead the process of educating all project stakeholders in the use of these technologies to maximize efficiency, lower cost and improve schedules.

We are all aware of the growing use of wearables. Some might say that part of the AIA’s #ilookup campaign was a move to encourage people to look up from their phones and tablets and re-engage with their built and non-built environments. Emerging technologies have definitely affected how we experience our buildings and public spaces.

Given the push for healthy living and healthy

environments, how do we incorporate emerging technologies in such a manner that they improve both our physical quality of life and our mental health?

The study group is not tackling these issues alone. It will be looking for strategic alignments with existing AIA Knowledge Communities that have likely studied some aspect of these focus areas. Members of the AIA who are not council members joined in the study group’s discussions during the work session at A’17. The group’s next step in the evolution of its discussions is to interview a cross section of members and nonmembers in the regions where the study group members reside. The goal is to gain additional feedback regarding how members who are currently utilizing emerging technologies are seeing their practice change and evolve. Are they generating additional sources of revenue?

Are they finding the investment in resources justified by the feedback they receive from the project stakeholders? These are just a small sampling of the insights they will collect through the interview process.

Are you interested in participating in the discussion on emerging technology? Are you utilizing emerging technologies in your practice and would like to share with peers your lessons learned? Reach out to the leaders in your components and raise this topic at component meetings and local conferences. Connect with your region’s Young Architect Regional Directior (YARD) and share your insights so that the knowledge is spread across the entire YAF network.

This is an example of the work of only one study group — six other groups are actively charging forward, identifying strategic areas related to their topic. Reach out to your region’s Strategic Council representative to ask for updates on the work that interests you. Let us, members of the Strategic Council, know if we can assist you with facilitating a discussion on the ongoing work of the council. ■

Jack Morgan, AIA

is the Director of Architecture and an Associate for FSB in Oklahoma City, OK. He served on the Board of Direc-tors of his local chapter, AIA Central Oklahoma Chapter (AIACOC) and was the Chapter President in 2014. He is currently serving on the state chapter’s Board of Directors, AIA Oklahoma as the Treasurer.

Morgan is also the YAF representative to the Strategic Council.

YAF ADVISORY COMMITTEE DIRECTORS' NOTE

JET SET

ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY

Advocacy for the young architects represented by the AIA encompasses a broad range of issues, from Good Samaritan laws to pre-licensure titling and student debt. At the beginning of the year, we laid out several short- and long-term goals for the YAF’s advocacy efforts in conjunction with our peers on the National Associates Committee and other partners from across the Institute and beyond. This included the following initiatives: 1. Develop a culture of design advocacy and action throughout the AIA: •

National Design Services Act: Advocate for this proposed bill before Congress by developing advocates at all levels of the institute and supporting the NDSA Coalition’s ongoing efforts.

•

Community Design: Promote these efforts throughout the profession, highlight the AIA’s actions supporting community design and increase the EP presence at all levels.

i) Engage in AEC Cares at A17 and develop a larger EP presence for A18.

ii) Connect with other social impact designers at A17.

iii) Highlight design advocacy through articles.

2. Firm Culture: Develop strategies to promote EP-friendly firm cultures throughout the profession.

3. Good Samaritan/Resiliency/Disaster Assistance: Support existing and ongoing efforts of EPs championing resilience and common sense Good Samaritan regulations.

4. AIA Policies: Address issues relevant to EPs and the profession as a whole in AIA policies.

Our profession is thriving. Employment is at the highest levels since before the great recession, salaries have increased and opportunities are opening up for young architects.

Taking the latest numbers from AIA and NCARB, there are around 33,000 young architects (licensed 10 years or less) in the United States. This accounts for roughly 33 percent of the profession and is growing. Overall, the community team, along with the rest of YAF, is working to connect with young architects, empower them and promote the great work of YAF members.

One of our initiatives includes compiling a list of the top firms for emerging professionals nationally.

1. What makes a great firm for emerging professionals?

2. How does your firm differentiate itself?

3. What does your perfect firm look like?

Another initiative is identifying YAF leaders, promoting their work, and finding leadership opportunities for young architects.

Do you know a YAF or emerging professional who goes above and beyond? We want to know about it. Please send us their information so we provide a member spotlight.

Lastly, in October of this year, YAF will be hosting Summit 25. Summit 25 is a planning session where YAF and industry leaders from around the country gather to define and set goals and initiatives for the future of the architecture profession. The profession is changing and so is the business of architecture. The summit’s aim will be to redefine the architectural practice models.

The Summit 25 application is now open. ■

5. Titling: Identify jurisdictions addressing the replacement of the intern title in their regulatory language and support title changes that respect the work of all emerging professionals.

These are but a few of the initiatives we’ve begun to implement tactics and strategies for, building on previous YAF efforts while addressing current advocacy issues. Our broader hope is to give voice to emerging professionals, empowering them to pursue their passion projects while developing an aspirational culture of design advocacy and action throughout the institute and beyond. ■

Stephen Parker, AIA

is an architect in the healthcare studio at SmithGroupJJR in Washington DC. He holds a B.A.Arch from Clemson University, where he received the Alpha Rho Chi Medal for Leadership, and an M. Arch from the University of Maryland. Stephen currently serves as the National Advocacy Director for the AIA's Young Architects Forum and co-founder of the National Design Services Act Coalition.

Shelby Morris, AIA

is an Associate Principal at Beck and is currently serving as Advisory Committee for the AIA National YAF and the AIA National Construction Contract Administration Knowledge Leadership Administration. He was recently honored as the 2016 AIA National Young Architects Award and the 2015 AIA Atlanta John Busby, FAIA Award.

Q2 -2017

09

FEATURE

AN INTERVIEW WITH JEFF PASTVA, AIA

2017 AIA YOUNG ARCHITECTS AWARD WINNER PROFILE

BY BETH R. MOSENTHAL

Jeff Pastva, AIA

is a project architect at JDAVIS, a board member of AIA Philadelphia, Treasurer of AIA Pennsylvania, editor of the College of Fellows Newsletter and served as YAF CONNECTION editor in chief from 2015-2016.

In March of 2017, the AIA released the 14 recipients of its annual Young Architects Award. The selected winners met the criteria of being “practicing architects licensed for no more than 10 years and who have made significant strides in the profession, both in terms of leadership and contributions.”

Jeff Pastva, a name familiar to Connection readers due to his former role as the editor and impressive credentials as an engaged member of YAF and AIA National, was recognized as one of the 14 honored recipients. Having worked with Pastva during his time as the editor of Connection, we recently spoke about the experiences that distinctively qualified him to be selected for this unique honor.

Beth R. Mosenthal (BRM): Tell me about your academic and professional background, and how it has influenced your current career trajectory.

Jeff Pastva (JP): I received my Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University. During my last year at Syracuse, the main architectural building, Slocum Hall, was going through a renovation. Despite what seemed like an inconvenience at the time, all architecture students were relocated to a warehouse in downtown Syracuse. In retrospect, this was an interesting way to reconnect and engage with what, at the time, was an underserved urban center.

Examples such as this illustrate that a shift happened during my time at Syracuse. When I arrived, the curriculum was formal but gradually transitioned to an architecture and philosophy rooted in

actively influencing community and related development projects.

Later in my career, I started to identify with the community aspect of design — the idea that we’re not just designing buildings. By being part of design and planning decisions, [architects] are an [integral] part of the community.

In addition to my job [as a project architect for Philadelphia’s JDavis Architects], I am a founding member of the South Neighborhood Association’s Architectural Review Committee. Impacting and helping guide the development in my own neighborhoodis something I am passionate about. As a committee, we are the first line of architectural review and defense, reviewing and working with developers that submit variance requests of projects that will impact the future character and development of our neighborhood.

Stemming from my time in school, I continue to become more invested in ensuring community and design are integrated together.

BRM: How did you first become involved in the AIA? JP: I first became involved in the AIA by participating in an ARE study group session run by AIA Philadelphia. Upon getting licensed in 2011, I reached out to Denise Thompson, the person running the review sessions at the time, and told her that I was interested in helping. I saw this as an opportunity to give back after passing my exams. I started co-hosting study sessions with Denise.

Denise had also restarted the YAF [Young Architect’s Forum] locally around that time, and we put our heads together in regards to how to expand programming for young architects in Philadelphia. Over the years, we ran portfolio reviews, happy hours and sought out other young professional organizations to partner with such as ULI. In 2013, Denise rolled off as committee chair, and I assumed her role.

As legacy events kept running and new events were introduced, I stepped down from YAF locally to fill a state-level position as the Pennsylvania YARD [Young Architect Regional Director]. I had also become involved in YAF’s CONNECTION magazine; I was excited to join the editorial committee and to influence the direction of the content on an on-going basis.

In 2014, I wrote an essay that gained me attendance to the AIA Emerging Professional’s Summit. This was also the first year I attended Grassroots and the AIA National Convention. In 2015, I became the editor of YAF Connection, as well as a member of AIA National’s Advisory Committee (AdCom), later sitting on an NCARB task force, investigating intern titling and helping set model law for how interns would be referred to.

Looking back, this was the path I wanted to take: to pursue opportunities to be on committees and task forces on the national level. Currently I am the AIA Pennsylvania treasurer, sit on the AIA Philadelphia local board as the PA representative, and stay connected to national through editing the College of Fellows Newsletter and contributing to Connection. I’ve always enjoyed having a foot in a couple different things, and, luckily, I’ve been able to balance these commitments.

ABOVE: THE MEADOWS AT PYNE POYNT - a 41 unit affordable and supportive services community located in Camden NJ - Courtesy Haley Donovan 10

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BRM: Does your firm support your endeavors outside of work?

JP: My firm [JDavis Architects] supports me in these endeavors. I try to do as much as I can on my own time — whether that means working through lunch, staying late, etc. If I have a deadline or client call, that will take precedence.

I’ve been fortunate that my employer has been supportive of my roles in the AIA and my local community. I encourage young architects that want to get involved to pitch to their firms the benefit of participating in positions and opportunities that are essentially “free” leadership development. Small firms in particular might not have the resources to facilitate in-house leadership development, but younger employees can get this through the AIA. BRM: What role has mentorship played in your current role as a successful architect and young leader in the architecture community?

Having worked with you on Connection, I see you as a “self-starter.”

JP: Mentorship is something [that happens] behind the scenes.

I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’ve done without Denise Thompson; she was my advocate and partner on the YAF committee.

Having one person vouch for you can be the difference between name recognition and never getting a chance. Denise was that person for me. She vouched for me to get the YARD position and later to get on the state board. Once I got in the door, I felt it was my responsibility to make new connections.

The mentors I’ve added in recent years are some of the people I work with in the state, such as AIA PA President Bob Kelly, and in the College of Fellows, Secretary Ed Vance. It’s definitely possible to have more than one mentor, and I don’t want to forget the people that helped me get started.

BRM: Which aspect of being an architect do you find most rewarding?

JP: For me, the thread that always ties design and advocacy together is community. A large part of my career has been in affordable housing.

Having been on the planning and design end, I enjoy being able to make sure that whatever we are proposing works for and is accepted by the neighborhood and the context it’s going into.

JET SET

Day to day, what I find most rewarding is problem solving. Whether I’m working for the AIA, on my neighborhood review board, or on an architecture project, solving problems is the end goal--even more so than being creative. I enjoy the problem-solving that comes with trying to find the middle ground between what various stakeholders want, even if they first seem at odds with one another. Building consensus in which everyone agrees on a path forward and is excited about the outcome — some might call that compromise, but I believe that defines the success of a project.

BRM: What advice would you give to a young architect or graduate that aspires to become a Young Architects Award winner?

JP: When I asked this similar question to Jeff DeGregorio, AIA, LEED AP from Payette, in a kind of “Where are they now?” retrospective, he said that, “He doesn’t do things for the end goal of winning awards.” I totally agree with that. I think everything I do is something I’m passionate about.

I would say that, from a technical perspective [in regard to pursuing the Young Architects Award], if a young architect is looking to be as influential as one can be as an architect, finding a way to participate in your community/civic organizations and AIA while also finding a way to impact your design practice can make you a “triple threat.”

One model I respect is that of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple. From my understanding, in order to become an associate/for people to advance in their firm, you have to be engaged culturally, civically and have the chops in your practice and management. You can’t just be a great designer or solely focused on the AIA. They make sure that you have the depth and breadth of contributions, and that you can articulate that story.

A lot of people do a lot of good things, but telling the story of your unique impacts and efforts have had measurable results is key It’s important to articulate, "What is your ripple effect? What have you done that has rippled through your organization/practice?"

Articulate that what you have done has mattered — on a local scale, but better on a national scale. ■

ABOVE: ELKTON SENIOR - a 60 unit affordable housing community located in Elkton, MD - Courtesy Haley Donovan

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FEATURE

COLLEGE OF FELLOWS

2017 LATROBE PRIZE

AN INTERVIEW WITH PETER WIEDERSPAHN, MICHELLE LABOY AND DAVID FANNON

BY JEFF PASTVA AND YU-NGOK LO

THIS ARTICLE IS PRODUCED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE AIA COLLEGE OF FELLOWS NEWSLETTER. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CONTINUATION OF THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE COLLEGE OF FELLOWS NEWSLETTER.

THE LATROBE PRIZE is the biennial $100,000 award from the AIA College of Fellows that supports a two-year program of research that leads to significant advances in the architecture profession. This year, the AIA College of Fellows selected a team of three faculty members from Northeastern University’s School of Architecture and Resilient Cities Laboratory to receive the 2017 Latrobe Prize for their study of “FutureUse Architecture”. The The jury, chaired this round by Kate Schwennsen, FAIA was impressed with the holistic quality of the proposal, its cogent framework, and its real potential for advancing knowledge of “future-use, future-proofing”. The proposed outcomes will include interactive products of immediate use to practice, while also advancing architectural education and our collective understanding of the characteristics of buildings with “long-life, loose-fit”. The COF Newsletter team collaborated with YAF CONNECTION to produce a two part article series to learn about the proposal from David Fannon, Michelle Laboy and Peter Wiederspahn.

Peter Wiederspahn, AIA

is an Associate Professor at Northeastern University. He was the Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affair for the Northeastern College of Arts, Media and Design, and intermittently the Interim Director of the School of Architecture. Additional, he was the inaugural Director of the School of Architecture Berlin Semester Abroad. He has also held teaching position at Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and the Pennsylvania State University. Professor Wiederspahn earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and his Master of Architecture from the Harvard University.

Michelle Laboy

is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Northeastern University, with an affiliate appointment with the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. She earned Master degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, where she received the AIA Henry Adams Medal and Thesis Award, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, where she received the Etienne Totti Award. Prior to coming to Boston she worked in SOM Chicago. Laboy worked at Maryann Thompson Architects in Cambridge, MA as a Senior Associate and co-founded FieLDworkshop, a research-based design practice in Boston.

David Fannon, AIA

is jointly appointed in the School of Architecture and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northeastern University. He has practiced in engineering, architecture, A/E and specialty consulting firms. Fannon earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master degree from University of California Berkeley, and is a registered architect in the State of New York. He is a member of ASHRAE and a LEED Accredited Professional with a Building Design and Construction specialty.

OPPOSITE: FUTURE-USE ARCHITECTURE OF VERTICAL MASONRY STRUCTURE AND HORIZONTAL TIMBER STRUCTURE Courtesy Brian Gouin and Thomas Neal

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Jeff Pastva and Yu-Ngok Lo (JP&YL): What does being awarded the Latrobe Prize mean to the team? How did the funding either make the research possible or enhance the proposed outcomes?

The 2017 Latrobe Prize winning team (WT): We are honored to receive this prestigious award. The premise of our proposal for the Latrobe Prize, Future-Use Architecture, is an extension of our pedagogy for our ultimate undergraduate design studio, Comprehensive Design, at Northeastern University. This studio is taught concurrently and integrally with the ultimate building technology course, Integrated Building Systems. As part of this pedagogy, we examine important precedents that we think exemplify future-use design principles, and our research looks to expand on that work through methodical case study research. We feel that it is of the utmost importance that our students consider not only the impact buildings have on the environment but the effect of the environment on buildings. Therefore, designing proactively for adaptability, flexibility and durability in architecture is a critical dimension of that ethos. Receiving the Latrobe is a wonderful validation of these ideas to which we are very dedicated.

The funding allows us to extend the breadth of our inquiry about future-use design and to share what we find with a much larger audience. In particular, we want to bridge the gap between our academic research and pedagogy with the profession in ways that are applicable to everyday design practices. We also hope that these design principles will appeal to other academic programs, which can be incorporated into their teachings as well.

Practically, the Latrobe gives us the time and resources to travel as we investigate architectural projects that demonstrate futureuse principles. It will also support a number of student research assistants who will contribute to the project and gain hands-on experience with research.

JP&YL: Based on your introductory theories, are there any buildings you have already targeted as exemplary cornerstones of your research? What are some of the buildings that you will begin to document as part of Phase I?

JET SET WT: It is too early to say if they are exemplary, but we are very interested in a few extant projects, some of which we have examined in our Integrated Building Systems course. We are very interested in the Lovejoy Building in Portland, Ore., by Opsis Architecture. This building is an adaptive reuse of an existing shell and interior frame that had already served multiple uses, but what holds our interest is that the architects added features to facilitate the construction of an additional two floors in the future and made simple modifications to the timber structure to increase spans and capacity. The renovation also includes smart strategies for energy, such as daylighting and stack-effect ventilation, and it is located in a district that connects to the urban mass transportation system. The project really considered the building’s long-term use, performance and value across multiple dimensions and at multiple scales.

We use the Sendai Mediatheque, by Toyo Ito, as an example to illustrate the difference between program and use to students in our class. While the Mediatheque may always be a “library,� what that means may change radically, and the building strives to foster that. It is essentially a free plan building designed to accommodate the inevitable changing needs of libraries. The building systems are clearly legible and integrated: the horizontal structure can span long distances, maximizing the spacing of the vertical structure, which is large enough to also house various building systems, such as vertical circulation and forced-air ducts; floor plates support the building enclosure and occur at varying floor-to-floor heights to accept different potential uses as needed; and the building skin responds to its various solar orientations while maintaining and inviting transparency.

Looking deeper into architectural history, the Orsanmichele in Florence successfully experienced persistent change yet has maintained its urban presence and cultural value for over 600 years. It started out as an open loggia for the distribution of wheat.

As unforeseen dangers mounted from the hinterland and periodic draughts threatened the supply of food, upper levels were added for long-term storage of wheat. Then, the open loggia was enclosed

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COLLEGE OF FELLOWS

and consecrated as a church. In its latest life, it now houses a museum for the art constructed there. The simplified plan, durable materials, minimal vertical structure, long-span vaulting and tall floor-to-ceiling heights all conspire to make the Orsanmichele a future-use building par excellence.

Finally, one of the exiting opportunities from the Latrobe is that we get to discover, learn about and visit more great buildings. We hope the readers will contact us with their suggestions of projects or people we should think about.

JP&YL: How do you envision the design of a future-use building integrated with today’s technology, like building automation and artificial intelligence? How do you factor in the ever-shrinking cycle of upgrades that could develop in the next five or ten years when it previously took 25?

WT: Automation is just the latest step in a process that has been happening for more than a century. Sigfried Giudeon documents the first stages in Mechanization takes Command, and we are all writing the next chapter as we speak. While the technology is an important aspect of buildings, and we each teach about different aspects of building technology, we would also argue that sheltering human use is the constant and primary concern of architecture, and that is not changing. As a result, we hope designing for futureuse will make buildings that serve people for a long time, and that buildings can gracefully adapt to technological changes.

We really see future use as a more of a humanistic than technological proposition. Certainly, the building technology is a prerequisite, and transformative, intelligent systems can afford or even prompt great things. However, we believe the main reason 14

CONNECTION

buildings are adaptable is primarily related to the basic dimensions and proportions of their more permanent systems and the way they make people feel: the quality of daylight, air and space.

It is worth taking a step back and evaluating the purpose of technology, which is to improve the quality of our lives — not to make it more difficult. We believe if buildings are well-designed, the overwhelming complicatedness that can come with rapidly changing technology will be minimized.

JP&YL: We can imagine a building changing in order to respond to unforeseen environmental factors, such as climate change or additional technology, to capture more energy efficiency. But do you anticipate buildings adapting to external cultural forces that may not require a use change?

WT: Architectural imagination is such a powerful tool. In Comprehensive Design Studio, we introduce students to the techniques of scenario planning as a way to grapple with the fact that we must design now for a future we cannot predict. A key step in that process is separating the foreseeable from the unknown and the certain from the unpredictable. In our experience, the really interesting design challenges that prompted the idea of Future-Use Architecture lie in the realm of the unknown and unpredictable, so we are not sure if the consequences of climate change are unforeseen or that energy efficiency is something to be captured by unknown technology or that cultural forces can ever be external to the architecture in which they occur.

That said, we think that buildings adapting to social change is actually pretty normal for architecture. In a perhaps obvious example, the Pantheon was built as a place of worship, and it is still used as one,

THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

JET SET

OPPOSITE: INTEGRATION OF STRUCTURE, BUILDING ENCLOSURE, AND PASSIVE AND ACTIVE ENERGY SYSTEM - Courtesy Brian Gouin and Thomas Neal BELOW: EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC OF STRUCTURE, BUILDING ENCLOSURE, AND PASSIVE AND ACTIVE ENERGY SYSTEM - Courtesy Danielle McDonough, Jacqueline Mossman, and Aaron Trahan BOTTOM: FUTURE-USE ARCHITECTURE OF "ULTRALIGHT" STEEL FRAMING. - Courtesy Danielle McDonough, Jacqueline Mossman, and Aaron Trahan

but it would be difficult to overstate the social and cultural forces that have swept over and occasionally through that building during its life. The history of office space is another example — the use is perhaps identical, but who can imagine working in an office from 50 years ago?

Of course, the resource-intensive but relatively durable buildings that have survived through history are, in many ways, exceptional — not because they tend to have culturally-significant uses (e.g., worship or government) and so reflect the current culture, perhaps even changing along with it (notwithstanding the role of buildings in resisting cultural change by concretizing existing social structures).

Yet, to survive so long, these buildings could not be too closely

associated with a particular set of social conditions because, compared to their environments, they have experienced dramatic sociocultural changes. Today, however, the environmental context is changing much more rapidly, and we have also eliminated the local cultural traditions of building that embedded a deep knowledge of place and appropriate adaptation, which meant that buildings could endure without change. ■

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JET SET

AIA Conference on Architecture 2017

RECAP

Young Architects Award Visual Diary Session Recap: TH311 – Introducing the Global Practice Primer and FR 416 – International Practice: A primer for emerging professionals.

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AIA '17 CONFERENCE ON ARCHITECTURE

MEET THE WINNERS

2017 AIA NATIONAL YOUNG ARCHITECTS AWARD

Andrea Love, AIA

Jeffrey Erwin Huber, AIA

Jonathan Opitz, AIA

Shannon Christensen, AIA

Corey Clayborne, AIA

"Hopefully, the award serves as catalyst for inspiring even more great work, encouraging more selflessness, and heralding future intentions for continuining to improve the profession and our communities."

- Benjamin Kasdan Ben Kasdan, AIA

"Winning this award is personal validation of my work, and to be acknowledged alongside such distinguished peers confirms I am on the right path! " - Jessica Sheridan "As a recipient of the Young Architects Award, I am inspired to keep volunteering and giving. It doesn't mean I'm done - not by a long shot.

It's the opposite, actually: an incentive and responsibility to keep going."

- Lora Teagarden

Lora Teagarden, AIA

"Being a Young Architects Award recipient is both humbling Humbling because of my background, the alternate paths and that there are so many other talented practicing archit been selected." - Chris-Annmarie Spencer Kara Bouillette, AIA

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Jessica Sheridan, AIA

THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

JET SET

"Winning The AIA National Young Architects Award is an honor that provides me with the encouragement that I am on the right track with what I want my career to become."

- Kurt Neiswender "This award validates that the choices that I’ve made in my career can lead to a successful path and that it is equally as important to work hard in your profession as it is to give back to the community through volunteering and educating others."

- Luis Velez Alvarez "It is humbling that my impact has been qualified with a select group of peers and I am honored to be included with other amazing leaders."

- Jeff Pastva Jeff Pastva, AIA

g and exciting. my life could have taken tects who could have

Chris Annmarie Spencer, AIA

Luis Vlez Alvarez, AIA

Danielle C. Herman, AIA

Kurt Neiswender, AIA

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AIA '17 CONFERENCE ON ARCHITECTURE

A VISUAL DIARY FROM THE EXPO FLOOR

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS NERVE CENTER

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THE PARTY !!!

JET SET

@AIAYAF >

GETTING READY FOR THE GENERAL SESSION

michelle obama

UNITLL NEXT YEAR...

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AIA '17 CONFERENCE ON ARCHITECTURE

A'17 CONFERENCE ON ARCHITECTURE SESSION HIGHLIGHT

GLOBAL ARCHITECTS

BY YU-NGOK LO

A

s a small firm practitioner who has worked on projects overseas, the answer to the question “Why would architects want to practice internationally?” is obvious. However, I wanted to hear from experts in the profession who have attributed their career success to international practice. The A’17 Conference on Architecture in Orlando provided this insight. Two sessions that particularly caught my eye were TH311 – Introducing the Global Practice Primer and FR 416 – International Practice: A Primer for Emerging Professionals.

The FR416 session held my interest as it was especially relevant to emerging professionals. Moderated by Greg Yager, Senior Vice President of Callison RTKL, the session speakers were Wyatt Frantom, AIA, senior associate and senior designer at Gensler Los Angeles; Juan Betancur, AIA, director of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture; and Jenni Katajamaki, AIA, an associate at Flansburgh Architects. The experiences and projects the speakers brought to the session were very diverse. Frantom's work with HOK and Gensler and Betancur’s work with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture are city landmarks, generally larger in scale, while

Katajamaki’s work with Flansburgh focuses on culture and contextoriented projects. Although these projects vary in scale and location, they all share similar challenges, such as cultural differences, language and time differences from office to project site.

The session started off with questioning why U.S. architects would want to venture into overseas markets. Frantom answered this question, in part, by modifying Louis Sullivan’s well-known idiom to suggest that “form (also) follows finance,” noting the impacts that meta-trends -- such as globalization, densification, and urbanization -- have on global development patterns. This statement seems to resonate with many architects who survived the Great Recession.

Globalization and the economic power shift are a few factors that have created an increased demand for architectural services overseas.

The question of how was answered by the Global Practice Primer session. I was not familiar with this resource before I attended the session. Moderated by the 2017 chairman of the AIA International Practice Committee, James B. Atkins, FAIA, FKIA, the speakers

ABOVE: KORAMANGALA tech innovation campus - Courtesy Gensler

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OPPOSITE ABOVE: large scale mix-use projects - Courtesy Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture OPPOSITE BOTTOM: project delivery matrix - Courtesy Mark Careaga

JET SET

Time, schedules and decision making is not linear! included Steven Miller, FAIA, RIBA, the AIA International Region representation to the Strategic Council; James Wright, FAIA, the 2017 president of the AIA International Region, and Mark Careaga, AIA, an associate principal of Payette, Boston. The main objective of the session was to help members familiarize themselves with the primer and learn how to obtain additional information for the pursuit of projects abroad. The session contained a tremendous amount of information that would be extremely helpful to architects who are either currently practicing overseas or planning on starting a career abroad. As James Atkins explained, the Primer is designed as a living document, with the addition of chapters and white papers and chapter updates as time and necessity dictate.

Steven Miller started off the session with business development and marketing strategies. It is crucial to not only develop a strong relationship with your client, but your consultants as well. It also helps drastically if you are have specialized skills, such as hospital design or façade design.

James Wright continued by talking about the importance of understanding the cultural differences between different countries.

As a foreign practitioner, we need to be cautious of what we wear and say so that we do not offend our clients. For example, the “thumbs-up” gesture is considered extremely rude in the Middle East.

The session culminated with a presentation by Mark Careaga on a more technical note. In order to facilitate a healthy relationship with your project team, communication is the most important element to determine the success of your project. Mark presented an example project delivery matrix from the Primer, showing comparative phases in the US, UK, France and China. I was surprised to hear that when a client in the United Kingdom speaks of “Project Programme”, he/ she actually means “Project Schedule”.

Seeing the projects shown by the presenters, I realized there is another reason why architects keep pursing overseas work. In addition to the financial incentives those projects bring, there are simply more design opportunities in regions such as China and Dubai. In tandem with these opportunities, as designers, we need to understand local construction methods. The craftsmanship typically expected in the U.S. might not be easily found in other countries.

The speakers highly encouraged us to seek out the Global Practice Primer on the AIA website (www.aia.org/resources/25876-aiaglobal-practice-primer). All of the information provided in the Global Practice Primer session can be found within the six articles of the

document. It is a valuable resource available to those of us who want to venture into the realm of international practice.

Practicing architecture in global territories can be challenging.

The Global Practice Primer and the experiences shared by the presenters offered an excellent first step to understanding the global market. However, the decision to venture into the world still takes courage, time, energy, patience and most importantly, resources to succeed. In addition to the clear financial benefit of engaging in work overseas, the experience of working with international clients transformed my view of the global economy and diversified my practice. So why wait? It is time to think about where to land your next international project. ■

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FEATURE

INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE

AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVEN MILLER

BY YU-NGOK LO & VIKKI LEW

Steven Miller, FAIA

worked with some of the world’s most esteemed architectural firms such as Kohn Pedersen Fox, Perkins Eastman, and FX Fowle, as well as multi-billion dollar construction companies such as Shapoorji Pallonji International, Miller’s extensive experience enabled him to identify the key areas of growth across the design and construction market as well as receiving the esteemed accolade of Fellow in the AIA.

Yu-Ngok Lo (YL): Steven, you’re an architect, urban planner, and real estate developer practicing in the U.S. and overseas. Can you tell us a little about your firm and your work?

Steven Miller (SM): Up until 18 months ago, I lived overseas for 40 years. I probably have touched work, built or unbuilt, in 55 countries. So, whether as a developer, an architect, or any profession related to the two, I’ve gotten to see how it’s structured around the world.

I relocated my firm, Planning and Design Consultants, from an international limited corporation to an LLC, which is an Americanstyle limited liability company. I offer consulting services to architects and developers. I don’t develop by myself, and I don’t operate an architecture firm. I employ architects as needed. I hold an architect license in New York and am a chartered architect in the U.K. My work is very diverse. I just finished working with an architect in Miami. I am known as a hotel architect, so I helped him market and gave briefs and wrote programs for him and so forth.

I’m now working with one of the premier local historical architects, Richard Heisenbottle, on a great opportunity for which he’s very well-positioned. We redesigned a historical building in Miami using his office and my input to do the hotel programming and concept.

I brought in hotel operators to see what would be the interest.

Together, we have gone out to find developers, and we’re sort of working that way.

I’m working with a developer in Fort Lauderdale. He has a very special type of program to reposition hotels and condominiums in any country that offers what they call a "visa" or "passport" for investment. We’re working on repositioning a defunct hotel and

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golf course in the Dominican Republic. We’re working on another project which has a 16th century fort and a 1950’s hotel in Curacao, a Dutch held island in the Caribbean. We’re also working in Croatia on very old communist-style hotels. I’m helping him as an architect and by using my historical, adaptive reuse, hotel, luxury condo, and development backgrounds.

YL: Your work sounds very diverse. What do you think are some of the challenges practicing overseas?

SM: Everyone who reads this article should read the brand-new, 80-page-long AIA Global Practice Primer. The IPCAG, International Practice Committee Advisory Group, took it upon itself to look at 12 sections to create a new primer. So, for the first year we produced six chapters. They’re available now in the AIA website.

I wrote the first chapter, which is on business development. Different people wrote each chapter. RTKL, through Greg Yager, had their inhouse counsel to write the section on legal pitfalls. James Wright -- whose firm has done American consulates and embassies, and does a lot of education and healthcare around the world -- wrote the section on cultural diversity.

This year, we will either produce the other chapters, or we will produce a series of white papers. The chapters are long, whereas a white paper can be something shorter. It’s easier and more diverse.

That has become the single biggest charge of the IPCAG. YL: Can you share your experience working with different hotels or resort brands all over the world?

SM: The major brands -- which, today, include Marriot, Hilton, IHC, and Hyatt -- control a major percentage of the branding. But then you get the Kempinks of the world, along with Taj, Aman, Shangri-

JET SET

Being an AIA member working overseas set you apart from everyone else.

La, and Rosewood and many others. Most of them, if they’re worldwide, divide the world up. They will have development offices in multiple places and technical services in a third of those places.

That’s how it’s structured.

I did a hotel in Lagos, Nigeria with Perkins Eastman for Hilton, based in Dubai. The owner wanted a design build concept. I was, at that time, working for Indian company Shapoorji Pallonji. They are the second largest Indian construction company in the world. I was the business development officer and a manager of a design build section of everything outside of India. So anything in Africa was in my purview. We were awarded the project because of my hotel experience. They client decided they wanted to use Hilton.

YL: You have hotel brands, such as Hyatt and Hilton, all over the world. Do they use the same floor plan? How does that work?

SM: The Hilton development office for that part of what’s called Sub-Saharan Africa is in South Africa. Africa is divided up by most business people into North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Dubai is the technical services offices for Hilton in the Middle East and Africa. We did the programming and the schematic design based on the Hilton documents which we were given for Africa. The technical services professionals in Dubai didn’t give us the documents they used in the Middle East -- they gave us the documents they used

for Sub-Saharan Africa. The differences are quite unique.

Some of the branding is different. Nobody in Sub-Saharan Africa knows the name "Conrad," but they know the name "Hilton." But the owners wanted and Hilton themselves wanted to take it up a notch to a Conrad. So they gave us a unique kind of a program where they said, "Think Hilton," because we’ll never get to the finishing of a Conrad, "but think planning of a Conrad." And I was able to do that because I worked on both of them in the past.

You get these strange things happening. We encountered a similar situation with Hyatt. I designed a five-star, luxury hotel for Hyatt in a historical building in Europe. They were just creating the brand and didn’t have all of the design standards available. I went over the requirements with the chairman of Hyatt Overseas (Hyatt, those days, had "Overseas" versus "American"). Since it was a historical building, I had to be very careful with the design layout and where different programmatic elements are placed.

So much of the Park Hyatts are about the bathroom. If you’ve ever been to a Park Hyatt, you know that there is always a glass wall between the main sleeping area and the bathroom. The only thing that’s in private is the water closet. It’s exotic, it’s gorgeous, it’s elegant, and it is sexual. It is the antithesis of stories where I’ve worked on other luxury brands that assume if you’re a wealthy ABOVE: PARK HYATT ABU DHABI -- DURING HIS TIME AT PERKINS EASTMAN, MILLER WAS OVERSEEING THE FIRM'S PROJECTS AND GROWTH IN THE MENA REGION. - Courtesy of Steven Miller

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ABOVE: STEVEN MILLER, FAIA, PROVIDED HOTEL PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE FOR MOST OF THE WORLDWIDE BRANDS THROUGH EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AND AFRICA. PHOTOS ABOVE ARE MANDARIN ORIENTAL PRAGUE. - Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental

person who can travel, you want to have it like home. It’s the antithesis of that. Why are you going to spend that kind of money if it’s the same bedroom you have at home? Even if you’re traveling by yourself, you almost want to feel the essence that your partner, or whoever you travel with, could be with you.

YL: You have been heavily involved with the AIA and are the past president of the International Advisory Committee. Tell us about your work with the AIA.

I was traveling around the world in the 80s and 90s and worked in many different places abroad, including Hong Kong, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Prague. In 1994, Prague became important to me and I had projects all over the region. Then, I found out that there was an AIA in France. It was Continental Europe, but they didn’t yet include the countries that came from the east. I became very involved with AIA and, in 1996, became the chapter president.

This was the first time that there was a chapter president in Eastern Europe. We always kept the office in France, but since I was also a developer, I had a reasonable budget for supporting the Chapter.I could have an assistant specifically for the Chapter in Prague. We had a major event in Prague that year. Now, 20 years later, we’re having another program there in October this year.

SM: I kept my New York architect license out of the 15 licenses I held. I also realized that when I was in foreign countries, they never asked me about my license because many countries didn’t have licenses. But they always asked me about my college degrees.

I have a bachelor’s in architecture from the University of Colorado.

I have a master’s in urban planning from Columbia. Those counted, but no one cared about your license back in the day.

I also became friendly with many of the members in the AIA UK chapter because I did work in the U.K. I opened an office and met my wife there. My wife’s company procured FF&E for hotels and major institutions. She did projects in Saudi Arabia, and all of her work was in the Middle East. So we moved to the Middle East, and I became involved in, and am still a member of, the Middle East chapter. I was a founder along with three other architects.

So it varies everywhere in the world. The Middle East has its own situation. The Chinese have their own situation. None of them can be the same. They’re all very different.

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Once the Americans got in it all changed because of the depth of what we have and because of the ongoing education.

Wa View of Skybridge

View of North Build

Entrance View from Street

Exterio

ABOVE: KING ABDULLA FINANCIAL DISTRICT IN RIYADH - Courtesy of FXFOWLE (left) and Steven Miller (right)

YL: Why is it important to you to advocate for AIA?

K IN G A B DU L L A H FIN A N C IA L DIST R IC T PA R C E L 2 .0 9

next year, they approached us about additional projects for which they wanted to select 14 American architects. We supported their selection process. We ended up with 11.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

SM: Being an AIA member working overseas sets you apart from everyone else. The, AIA has a lot in their doctrine stating that we are the preeminent architectural organization. I’ve challenged that a lot of times because the Royal Institute of British Architects really was out there before we were. They were in Hong Kong, they were and are still in India, and they were in the Middle East before us.

However, our membership is larger, stronger, and now diverse.

In the Middle East, RIBA had maybe 250 members and they started five years before the AIA. We have 500 members and are in 17 countries. We have members as far away as Morocco and Iraq.

This truly shows the pull of Americanism.

The single greatest supporter of American architects of any country in the world, outside of America, is Saudi Arabia. I first worked in Saudi Arabia from 1974-79. In 2005, I was hired to be the architect on a whole new development that was going to include 54 major buildings. BuroHappold were the major engineers, but they insisted that BuroHappold use the American offices in L.A. and in New York -- not their main office in London. We did so well so fast that, the

Parcel 209 is a residential development that has facades that face a shared cul-de-sac to the north and access street to the east, a public square to the south and the Wadi to the west. The development is connected at the skywalk level to adjacent developments via a pedestrian bridge to the north, and another to the south. The access street provides a shared drop-off, as well as access to below grade parking and a landscaped pedestrian route to the Wadi. At the middle of the combined drop-off is a a landscaped pedestrian way leading to the residential lobby and beyond, with stair and elevator access to the Wadi below.

COMPLETION 2011

Most Americans do not understand process and the culture in Saudi Arabia. Once the Americans started to design our depth of profession related to ongoing education was very noticeable. Our chapter in the Middle East was the first chapter that said we wanted to have continuing education for our AIA International Associates, and they accepted it. By the way, next year, that’s going to become a requirement for all international Chapters. I think we’re going to start with six or eight credits and, every year, build up until you get the same hit that we get here.

YL: What advice do you have for those of us who want to have a career practicing architecture overseas?

SM: It all has to start with business development. If you’re an independent practitioner or you’re working for a firm, and you are asked to be involved internationally, you have to have a very substantial budget, and you need to know that the firm will provide the time required. Developing a successful business overseas really takes time. ■

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THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER OF THE AIA AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AIA UK CHAPTER

BY YU-NGOK LO

Lorraine King, AIA

has lived and worked in the UK since 1982 and was a founding member of the AIA UK chapter in 1992. She was President of the chapter in 2002; Treasurer for 13 years and has been the chapter's Secretary for the past 5 years.

The CONNECTION team is interested in knowing the things AIA International chapters are doing overseas. We reached out to AIA UK, AIA HK and AIA Continental Europe to find out some of the exciting programs they are offering to not only their general membership but to their emerging professional members as well.

The first stop is AIA UK, and we spoke with Lorraine King, one of the founding members of AIA UK and its current secretary.

Yu-Ngok Lo (YL): What are some of the programs AIA UK has to help AIA members (especially emerging professionals) practicing in the U.K.?

Lorraine King (LK): Yes, we have a very active Mentorship Meet Up program for young professionals recently set up by chapter member Katharine Storr, AIA, herself a young professional. The program encourages emerging professionals to discuss career choices, etc., in alternating formal and informal environments.

One of the goals of this group is to assist young people in passing their U.S. registration exams, which are given in the U.K. as one of only a few locations outside the U.S. Our newsletter, a powerful tool to communicate to our members, contains detailed stories of these new programs. The upcoming newsletter will also contain information on taking the registration exams in the UK. In addition to the mentorship program, the AIA UK Chapter has been running a weekend design charrette for U.K. architecture students for over 20 years. Representatives from schools throughout the U.K. come to London to the Roca Gallery — designed by Zaha Hadid and home to one of the chapter’s sponsors, Laufen — to tackle a different design brief each year. The students join up in teams, generally by school, and compete against other teams. For the past few years, the charrette has been run by Robert Rhodes, AIA. The AIA UK Chapter also runs an annual design awards program, which has, also over the past 20 years, become a major fixture on the U.K. architectural scene. Since the 1990s, this has included the

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Noel Hill Student Travel Award (named after one of the founding members of the UK Chapter) for the winner of a special student category. The award includes a cash prize to facilitate student travel. Winners are invited to write about their travel experiences, and their stories are published in our chapter newsletter.

As an encouragement to young professionals, the last two annual design awards have included a category for young professionals, and we expect this category to be continued again in future design awards.

YL: What are the licensure requirements in the U.K. for U.S. architects?

LK: We will be publishing an article written by Lester Korilius, FAIA, RIBA, on our website regarding the U.K.’s licensure requirements in a section dedicated to practice issues in the U.K. The overall requirement for licensure in the U.K. and the U.S. is similar. The U.K. license is divided into three parts: Parts I, II, and III. The first two parts relate to university education, with Part I being three years of education and Part II being two years of education. This is similar to the U.S. five-year B Arch degree. Part III is a professional practice examination that covers things such as contracts, project

administration, and U.K.-specific items, such as planning (zoning) permissions and rights of light. Candidates are also required to have a minimum of two years’ professional work experience in the field of architecture prior to becoming eligible to take the exam.

Unfortunately, there is no reciprocity between the U.S. and the U.K. for architectural licensure. In a typical scenario, for a U.S.

JET SET

architect to practice architecture in the U.K., he/she must hold an architectural education equivalent to the U.K. Parts I and II. He/ she is also required to pass the Part III examination mentioned above. It is worth noting that under the U.K. Architects Act 1997, the title “architect”— including the abbreviated form as in “AIA” — can technically only be used by trained professionals who are registered in the U.K. with the UK Architects Registration Board.

YL: Tell us a bit about the AIA RIBA keynote lecture series? What is AIA UK’s relationship/partnership with RIBA? LK: The AIA and the RIBA have mutual interests in the promotion of architects and the profession as a whole, and we try to work with them whenever and wherever possible. The keynote lecture series has been one of the most prominent manifestations of this general cooperation.

The AIA RIBA Keynote Lecture series started in the late 1990s, with a lecture by Rick Mather, a prominent U.S./U.K. architect.

Since then, it has brought renowned architects, including Cesar Pelli, Peter Eisenman, Ricardo Legorretta, Antoine Predock, Tod Williams/Billie Tsien and, most recently, Thomas Phifer to the U.K. audience.

Many of the lectures have been held at RIBA's London headquarters, as 66 Portland Place is, in itself, of significant architectural interest. The AIA works with the RIBA to organize the event; the AIA nominates and coordinates speakers for the event while the RIBA leads the effort on publicity. Amrita Raja, AIA — another of our active young professionals — has taken over organization of this event with a commitment to bring in more prominent female architects over time.

YL: Anything you would like to add?

LK: We are very proud of our longstanding design charrette and Noel Hill Travel Awards and the more recent mentoring program and young professional design award. We are a small chapter, but we take our young professionals very seriously. You can also read more about our past via our old newsletters on the AIA UK website. ■

The AIA UK Chapter has been running a weekend design charrette for U.K. architecture students for over 20 years.

OPPOSITE: 2016 STUDENT CHARRETTE - Courtesy AIAUK ABOVE LEFT: ARE WORKSHOP - Courtesy AIAUK ABOVE RIGHT: KEYNOTE LECTURE AT RIBA - Courtesy AIAUK

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GET THE LEGAL HELP YOU NEED AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW CROFT

BY YU-NGOK LO

Andrew Croft

is an Associate in the construction, engineering and infrastructure group at Beale & company. He was trained at Beale & Company, qualifying in 2011 and advises on both non-contentious and contentious matters. Croft has particular interest in BIM and digital construction and was involved in drafting the CIC BIM Protocol for the U.K. BIM Task Group, a standard document for use to reflect Level 2 BIM. He has advised on a number of high profile infrastructure projects in the U.K. and in the Middle East and is a leading speaker in relation to key industry issues, including BIM and late payment. Croft writes a monthly section Construction Law which examines the latest court rulings relating to construction.

Now that you have successfully landed your first international job and your firm is ready to expand overseas, what happens next? In addition to the licensure and residency requirements, it is important to get some of the legal questions straightened out before you sign a contract with your client. The AIA UK partners with a local commercial law firm and has created a unique program, the AIA UK Legal Helpline, to help AIA members on some of the issues they might face while practicing in the U.K. Our CONNECTION team had a conversation with Andrew Croft, an Associate at Beale & Company Solicitors LLP, to talk about the program and his firm's work.

Yu-Ngok Lo (YL): Could you tell us a little bit about your firm?

What does your practice focus?

Andrew Croft (AC): Beale & Company is a commercial law firm with specialist experience in the construction, engineering infrastructure and insurance sectors.

We are involved in construction projects around the world, with offices in London, Bristol, Dublin and Dubai. We act for a large number of consultants (including many architects) in the construction industry, advising on contract formation, issues during project delivery, and disputes/ claims, amongst other things.

YL: Why did your firm decide to help AIA UK members? What’s the motivation?

AC: We wanted to assist AIA UK members because a large number of our clients are US consultants and we have seen an increasing number of US architects opening practices in the UK. Being introduced to the AIA UK helped us to understand that there is a need for members to access specialist legal and commercial assistance. For example, we have introduced, in conjunction with the AIA, the AIA UK Legal Helpline, a free legal advice line for AIA firm members.

YL: What are some of the most common legal problems AIA UK members have?

AC: The most common problem we are seeing AIA UK members have is in respect to the use of the term “architect” in the U.K. - The Architects Act 1997 makes it a criminal offense to use the term “architect,” unless you are registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB). The restriction also covers acronyms which contain the word architect such as RIBA and AIA. It is not particularly straightforward for U.S. qualified architects to register 30

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with the ARB, so it would be very easy for them to inadvertently breach the Architects Act, which can result in a fine and in the architect being suspended or disqualified from practicing. This means that it is very important for AIA UK members to carefully consider the use of the term "architect" and references to the AIA next to their names in emails or letters.

YL: Have you also helped other AIA members outside the U.K. to practice in the U.K.?

AC: We have been advising a number of U.S. based architects who are AIA members on their practices in the U.K., including in relation to the issues which are specific to the U.K. construction market. There does seem to be an increasing number of AIA members looking to expand their practices to the U.K. YL: Besides licensure requirements, what is some advice you have for those of us (young architects from the U.S.) who wants to start a practice in the U.K.?

AC: I would advise young architects from the U.S. who want to start a practice in the U.K. to work closely with an existing U.K. practice before setting up alone. This is particularly important given the restrictions on the use of the term "architect" as commented above and will help the US architect to understand the U.K. construction market before setting up a practice.

Needless to say, it is also essential that you ensure that your practice has professional indemnity insurance in place in the U.K., which is one of the requirements of the ARB code of practice.

Another important piece of guidance for those working in the UK is to set out, at as earlier a stage as possible, the contractual position under which you are working. This is another requirement under the ARB code of practice and is important because if no contract is in place the position in relation to liability and the architect’s entitlement to payment, amongst other things, will be unclear.

YL: Anything you would like to add?

AC: Any AIA members looking to expand in the U.K. are very welcome to make use of the AIA Legal Helpline we provide for U.K. members when exploring their options. Check out the AIA UK website for more information. ■

AIA CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

JET SET

THE INTERNATIONAL FAMILY

BY YU-NGOK LO

G

lobalization and the last Great Recession might have been the driving force for U.S. architects to venture overseas in recent years. In addition to the giant international firms such as Gensler, Perkins + Will, HOK, SOM and RTKL, small/midsize firms are also gradually entering the international markets. While the incentive for working overseas is obvious, practicing in foreign countries can be tricky. One might find himself/herself involved in various challenges and disputes if the legal framework is not setup properly at the beginning of the project. Although the construction contract laws vary from country to country, AIA offers standard documents in the international family, for architects practicing globally ,as a vital resource. It is probably best practice to consult your own attorney on legal issues should claims or disputes arise.

However, the AIA standard documents, written and reviewed by various experienced architects and legal experts, do provide a legal framework outlining the expectations between each involved party to minimize potential disputes. This is particularly important for clients who have never worked with a U.S. architect before. It is also an extremely valuable resource for small firm petitioners practicing overseas who cannot afford an in-house legal assistant.

Practicing overseas can be risky. As a small firm practitioner, my experience in utilizing the AIA standard document for my projects has been very positive, and I highly recommend to those who have decided to venture overseas to become familiar with the documents AIA offers. It is extremely important to get the responsibilities and expectations established with your clients at the beginning of the project so that you can focus your effort on the actual architectural work. ■

Due to the fact that U.S. architects are typically not hired by international clients as architects, these documents are tailored to identify U.S. architects as consultants. The international family of AIA Contract Documents consists of two documents: B161 and B162.

Here is the excerpt of the descriptions found on the AIA Contract Documents website: Document B161 is designed to assist U.S. architects involved in projects based in foreign countries, where the U.S. architect is hired on a consulting basis for design services and the owner will retain a local architect in the foreign country. The document is intended to clarify the assumptions, roles, responsibilities, and obligations of the parties; to provide a clear, narrative description of services; and to facilitate, strengthen, and maintain the working and contractual relationship between the parties. Because of foreign practices, the term “owner” has been replaced with “client” throughout the document.

Document B162 is an abbreviated version of AIA Document B161, Standard Form of Agreement between Client and Consultant. It is designed for small to medium projects overseas. Provisions such as detail project parameters, dispute resolution mechanism and the responsibilities of each party are omitted to accommodate the nature of small project to medium size projects overseas.

ABOVE: Sample of B161 and B162 - Courtesy American Institute of Architects

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PRACTICING IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AIA EUROPE CHAPTER

BY YU-NGOK LO

Tiffany Melancon, AIA

is the founding principal of Melancon & Co., a Basel, Switzerland-based architecture and design studio. Melancon is currently serving as President of The AIA Continental European Chapter, contributing editor to Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) Frau + Net, and board member of the Tulane School of Architecture Dean's Board of Advisors. She has written, lectured and curated symposia about architecture and urbanism in Switzerland, and is Co-Chair of the 2019 AIA Committee on Design Conference: Innovation | Switzerland.

The CONNECTION team caught up with the 2017 AIA Europe president, Tiffany Melancon at the A’17 Conference on Architecture in Orlando. She has been active in roles that bridge the interests of both U.S. and European practice.

Yu-Ngok Lo (YL): Is there a young architects' group/forum/ component in your chapter?

Tiffany Melancon (TM): AIA Europe is just starting the Emerging Professionals initiatives, and we believe that now is the perfect time for our chapter to reach out to young architects. Prior to 2015, we only had a 4 percent emerging professional membership in the AIA Europe. Today, our EP members account for a total of 17 percent of membership; this is where we are seeing dynamic chapter growth. We have several young members who've recently moved to Denmark, for example, to work for the large international firms there. Through the connection of these young members, we’d like to establish a relationship between the local emerging professionals and AIA Europe. We’re also planning a spring 2019 conference in Copenhagen to engage our emerging professional members concentrated in that city. Many young talented practitioners have expressed interest in participating in the conference planning process, and we’re excited to get them involved.

YL: What is the general membership makeup of AIA Europe? Are there individuals that practice in the U.S. and Europe? Are they mostly expatriates with an EU practice or employer?

TM: AIA Europe has a diverse membership. The chapter supports architects, students and affiliated design professionals through programs that foster fellowship between practices in Europe, the United States and beyond. About half of our members are U.S.trained practitioners who moved to Europe while the others are Europeans who have either studied or worked in the U.S. Many of the members are involved in international projects.

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YL: What are the challenges/opportunities for U.S.-based architects to start practicing in Europe?

TM: For young architects interested in practicing in Europe, it’s important to first secure an employment contract. Based on my experience, it's unusual for an American architect who just arrived in Europe to start his/her own practice. He/she would typically be employed first by an architecture firm. Employment in EU and non-EU European countries is tied to work and residency permits issued by their governments, and the easiest way to secure these permits is through employment in companies already working internationally — they’ll likely have the resources to initiate the legal process on the worker’s behalf. Generally, it's best to get the job first and then move to Europe.

Once an overseas residency permit is secured, it would be best to start learning the local language, the local building codes and laws and the general contractual requirements for doing business in the

JET SET

Prior to 2015, we only had a 4 percent emerging professional membership in the AIA Europe. Today, our EP members account for a total of 17 percent of our membership. particular country. Many U.S. architects often find themselves in very different territory, in terms of culture and practice, and it could take years to develop a network in Europe.

of AIA members. This October, AIA Europe and AIA International are hosting a joint conference in Prague, Czech Republic for all International Region members.

One lesser-known path for American architects seeking work in Europe is with the Army Corps of Engineers, US Navy and State Department. The work is mostly not design-oriented, but any work in this niche helps build a specialized knowledge portfolio for future jobs. In fact, we have several members in our chapter who are listed with the US Armed Forces in Europe.

Attendees will come from Continental Europe, Hong Kong, Shanghai, the Middle East and the U.K. — a great network for anyone wanting to pursue an international path in practice. Visit www.aiaeurope.org for conference details. One of the things we’re currently working towards is subsidized registration costs specifically for EP members of our chapter. Our goal is to encourage the participation of our emerging professional members by making their conference or travel costs more affordable. ■

YL: What are the things your chapter does to help AIA members (especially emerging professionals) practicing in your region?

TM: Our website is an excellent resource. The AIA Europe membership directory is organized by country, containing names and contact info of our members. We also have a list of European Architecture Professional Associations, as many of our members also belong to these local associations.

The AIA Europe Scholarship offers a 5,000 euro stipend to U.S. students of architecture pursuing master’s studies in Europe. It’s a competitive program, and each year's recipient has the opportunity to present his/her research at our fall conference. There are many international English language master's programs in Europe as well, and we have a fairly comprehensive list on our website.

We are working on improving support for our younger members with ARE prep resources. Although the exam is only offered in London right now, we are aiming with AIA UK to form a virtual study group for AIA international members.

YL: What are the licensure requirements in your region for U.S. architects?

TM: There is no reciprocity for U.S. licensure in European countries.

To establish your own practice in Europe, you'd have to meet the requirements within each country, and they are not standardized throughout the European Union. Simply talking to other members who have been through the process of getting registered here is the best resource.

YL: Do you partner with any other AIA chapters outside your region (for example, other international regions or the AIA mainland chapters)?

TM: AIA Europe is one of six international chapters of the AIA, and the AIA International Region (IR) supports the global network

OPPOSITE AND ABOVE: AIA EUROPE CONFERENCE - Courtesy AIA Europe

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INTERNATIONAL PROJECT SMARTS

THE AIA INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE COMMITTEE'S PRIMER UPDATE

BY IAN MERKER

James B. Atkins, FAIA

is the 2017 Chair of the AIA International Practice Committee. After spending over three decades as a senior principal with a top ten international design firm, he is now an architecture consultant and standard of care expert. Atkins has authored articles in The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice and numerous periodicals, including AIArchitect. He coauthored two technical books, and he currently serves as editor for The AIA Global Practice Primer. Atkins has been honored as a Fellow in the AIA and the Korean Institute of Architects.

Alison Laas, AIA

joined Payette after completing her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2007. She has been a key member on several Aga Khan University master planning and building projects in Karachi, Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam. Laas is currently an instructor at Boston Architectural College and has taught in the Comprehensive Studio at Northeastern University.

The AIA International Practice Committee is leading efforts to provide members with the resources and network to work globally.

Jim Atkins, FAIA, 2017 Chair and Alison Laas, AIA, Vice Chair / 2018 Chair contributed to the to the recently released AIA Global Practice Primer. The updated document was recently presented

by Atkins and other committee members at the AIA’17 Conference on Architecture.

Ian Merker (IM): Are there any major themes or issues that were discussed at the Global Practice Primer session at AIA’17?

James Atkins (JA): The primary intent of the Primer articles is to inform AIA members about the unique issues of international practice. Due to time constraints, we could only present three of the six articles, Business Development and Marketing, Regional and Cultural Understanding, and Project Delivery. These three presentations included the overall theme that business in other countries can be quite unfamiliar due to cultural differences, and a necessary mindset that rises above all specific business issues is to be open and understanding. We must not forget that our behavior and business practices can be as strange to our foreign associates as theirs is to us.

IM: Have you had any feedback from those who have used the Global Practice Primer as a resource?

JA: We have not had any feedback on specific uses of the Primer, but there has been much praise and acceptance from seasoned practitioners who are already in the global arena. I take this as a validation.

IM: There are words of caution about avoiding corruption while practicing internationally, such as the prevalence of bribery and risk of abduction. Can you give examples of issues that you have faced and how they were resolved?

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International Practice session by the two authors of the Primer article, “Legal Issues,” and one of their associates. All three presenters were experienced counsel on international projects with Callison/RTKL. The session was, “Global Practice Corruption and Bribery; Avoiding the Subtle Trap.” The two Primer authors, Robyn Miller, Esq. and Robyn Baker, Esq., are writing a white paper for inclusion with the Primer later this year. I have never been confronted with corrupt demands, but I have been aware that they occasionally exist at some levels on projects.

AL: My firm has been fortunate and deliberate in partnering with clients who have firm policies against any kind of corrupt practices, making adherence to anti-corruption laws simple and avoiding questionable ethical situations.

IM: A common issue I have heard of is that prepayment of services is necessary or non-payment occurs despite clear contracts. How is invoicing or payment structure established in comparison to U.S. projects?

JA: It is important to get paid in American dollars if possible since money conversion can be tricky due to fluctuating currencies. Also, arrange to be paid in dollars through a U.S. bank if the client holds U.S. interests. Suffice to say that invoicing and payment should be worked out up front.

AL: Typically, we have found that clients in other countries are used to tying payments to milestone deliverables instead of a monthly invoicing based on a percentage of a fixed fee, as many of our domestic projects are structured. To strike a balance between the two methods of payment structure, we have often developed milestone deliverables that are more frequent than we would typically issue on a U.S.-based project, to help with cash flow.

We still sometimes experience delays in payment, due to factors beyond our client’s control, related to regulatory reviews related to payment in U.S. currency. Understanding the processes that your client must go through to secure payment while setting contractual

SHELTERING

Even for projects that strive to integrate passive, highly contextual design approaches, US architects are equipped with tools in building information modeling and integration of building performance analyses that position us as experts in sustainable and resilient design.

ABOVE: AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY, KARACHI, PAKISTAN Courtesy Mark Careaga, AIA

expectations for payment can help mitigate some of the risks associated with working on international projects.

IM: Are there any typical types of legal counsel retained or insurance policies that your firm carries?

AL: Our firm retains outside legal counsel who specialize in the construction industry and have experience with international projects. They are always involved in assessing and developing our contracts for international projects.

JA: There are many legal firms that specialize in dealing with the laws of other countries. The U.S. architect should first seek legal counsel to make sure all is covered domestically; then, through legal guidance, seek out specialized counsel, if appropriate. As far as insurance, there is a good article on the AIA Trust website (www.theaiatrust.com), entitled Risk Management on International Projects, by Victor O. Schinnerer. Specialty insurance includes kidnap, ransom and extortion coverage, and many U.S. insurance providers offer international insurance coverage packages, such as CNA Passport and Worldpass by CNA insurance Co. Become familiar with specialty coverage so you can make informed decisions.

IM: When does a member of your firm start traveling internationally for projects? Is there a level of competence or maturity assessed

prior to sending them out? Is the travel considered a privilege or burden?

AL: Who travels for a project depends on the type of meeting and the desires of the client. I have worked with clients who want to control the travel costs associated with hiring a U.S.-based architect and will place limits on the number of people who are authorized to travel per trip, forcing us to be more selective in travel for personnel. I have also worked with clients who see the value in having more members of a team attend design workshops with users and engineers to allow for clear communication of meeting outcomes and to advance the design progress during the meetings, and so we welcome as many team members to travel as we feel is necessary to send.

Internally , we feel that it is valuable to have staff gain experience with client and consultant interactions, so we provide the opportunity to staff to travel for any projects, whether U.S.-based or international, as often and as soon as possible. For international travel, we make sure that any staff requested to attend a meeting or trip is comfortable with traveling to the part of the world where our projects are located and respect their personal decisions regarding availability for travel.

The experience of meeting with clients face to face and seeing work under construction is a privilege but also an invaluable experience for any architect as they grow as a professional.

JA: When I practiced internationally in a large firm, managementlevel positions typically traveled abroad on international projects.

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If an emerging professional is interested in international work, I suggest joining a global firm and one’s enthusiasm should take care of the rest over time.

IM: How important is it to have knowledge of green building rating systems, like DGNB and BREEAM with international sustainable practice? Do you have staff, or do you outsource certification?

AL: Our firm approaches sustainable and resilient design from a holistic perspective that is not tied to a specific rating or certification system. As with any standard or code, for international work, it is important to establish expectations with your client and local partners from very early on in the process — in many cases, before design begins. Having local partners involved in the design process as early as possible is invaluable, especially when a client is interested in applying codes or green building standards that are specific to the project’s location.

IM: How are U.S. architects uniquely poised to address sustainability and resilience?

AL: The U.S. design and construction industry has advanced to a point where sustainability is an expectation, rather than a bonus, in the design process. Resiliency has only served to broaden the definition of sustainability in design and to motivate our clients to make intelligent decisions about how their buildings will perform over time and respond to changing climatic conditions. U.S. architects who approach sustainability holistically in their practice and strive to meet increasingly demanding goals, such as those laid out by the AIA 2030 Commitment, have already developed tool sets that position them to address any sustainability or resiliency

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goal presented by an international client. U.S. architects often have experience with construction techniques and materials that are ahead of other international markets in integrating sustainable technologies into buildings. Even for projects that strive to integrate passive, highly contextual design approaches, U.S. architects are equipped with tools in building information modeling and integration of building performance analyses that position us as experts in sustainable and resilient design.

IM: I have heard of projects experiencing schedule delay, simply because the construction crews were “on island time,” for example.

Can you give an example of a cultural difference you have encountered that was particularly frustrating or required you to adapt?

AL: The level of detail that architects provide in their documents and the role of the architect during construction can vary significantly in different parts of the world. Having a local architect as a partner in the design and documentation process is essential in understanding the expectations for documentation and deliverables for different phases of a project, including into construction. We have found that it is important for us, as design architects, to be flexible in understanding what the client, local architect and contractor may expect in level of detail for different phases of work. We often need to find multiple ways to document and communicate design intent so we can feel confident that the built outcome will meet our expectations and our client’s expectations for quality while balancing the realities of a local construction market. Looking to local construction materials and practices and integrating those into early design decisions is also a way to help ensure that a project responds to local climate, economies and quality construction practices.

JA: You will encounter cultural differences on international projects that will be confusing and frustrating, and you will not be able to completely avoid this on work abroad. I presented a session at A’17 in Orlando with Dr. Sook Kim — a developmental psychologist who has studied the subject and has the experience of adapting to U.S. culture — “When in Rome, Cultural Awareness and Adaptation on International Projects.” The session addressed the profound reality that we are all different, yet we are all, in many ways, the same. If we are willing to work in conditions alternative to our U.S. Puritan culture, we can accomplish much and have fun at the same time.

Remember that our foreign associates have been doing it their way for a long time.

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Having a local architect as a partner in the design and documentation process is essential in understanding the expectations for documentation and deliverables for different phases of a project, including into construction.

IM: What primary advice would you give to a small startup practice that has read the Primer and is ready to pursue international work?

AL: Finding the right partners is crucial for success on international projects. These partners include your clients, local architects, consultants, etc. Take the time to develop relationships and vet partners before embarking on an international project together.

Relationships and trust will establish a basis for transparent communication that will lead to the best outcomes for everyone involved.

JA: My advice for a small startup practice is, first, I am envious — I want to be there again. Despite our current national [political]

direction, the world is global, and that is where the action will be.

Keep your eyes beyond the horizon. The large firm that I co-owned for over 30 years went from a regional firm to a global firm while I was there. We were barely working out of state when I started.

We developed specialties, aligned with bigger far-reaching firms, and they helped us go there. By firms, I am referring to owners, contractors and architects. Also, take every opportunity to network with international associates. Opportunities are everywhere.

The key is to under-promise and over-deliver and form good relationships. This is also the formula for success inside the U.S. Read up, be informed, and develop and constantly update your business plan. And never, never, never give up. â– OPPOSITE AND ABOVE: AIA GLOBAL PRIMER - Courtesy of the AIA

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MICHAEL GRAVES ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

AN INTERVIEW WITH A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF DESIGN THINKERS

BY YU-NGOK LO

Michael Graves Architecture and Design (MGA&D) is based in Princeton, N.J. and New York City, N.Y. It has completed numerous projects overseas and received over 300 awards for design excellence. Its founder, Michael Graves, FAIA (1934 - 2015) was the recipient of the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement, AIA Gold Medal, National Medal of Arts from President Clinton, Richard H. Driehaus Price, and Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education.

CONNECTION team reached out to MGA&D to get a perspective on its experience working in the overseas market as a mid-sized U.S. firm.

Karen Nichols, FAIA

is a Principal at Michael Graves Architecture & Design. For nearly 40 years, she has been the Principal-in-Charge of multiple renovation and expansion of the Newark Museum, including the 1980s that received a National AIA Honor Award.

Patrick Burke, AIA

is a Principal and Studio Head at Michael Graves Architecture & Design with over thirty five years of Lead Designer experience. He has been the Principal-in-Charge and Lead Designer of various large scale projects all over the world.

Trevor Lamb

is a Designer at Michael Graves Architecture & Design with a range of experience with variety of international projects. He is currently a Project Manager for a 2,000,000 sf mix-use, premium residential project in Egypt.

Tom Argires

is an architectural designer at Michael Graves Architecture & Design with experience that includes the management and documentation of large scale development projects. He received his architectural degree from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign.

Sara Minsley

is an architectural designer at Michael Graves Architecture & Design. She worked as an intern at Perkins + Will and was an architectural designer of the New York City Department of Economic Development's Industrial Action Plan.

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WOUNDED WARRIOR HOME PROJECT Perspective view of Patriot (left) and Freedom (right) Courtesy MGA&D

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Instead of designing hotels that could be anywhere in the world, we realized that the character could more authentically interpret local vernacular.

Yu-Ngok Lo (YL): Michael Graves Architecture & Design is a multidiscipline design practice. Why is it important to maintain different design branches such as product design and graphic design?

Karen Nichols (KN): We are excited about the potential of our multi-disciplinary practice in planning, architecture, interior design, product design, graphics and branding. Our founder, Michael Graves, was keen to design projects at every scale. When he won the AIA Gold Medal in 2001, he was credited for broadening the role of the architect to include not only the obvious extensions to planning and interiors but also product design and graphic design.

Today, we have staff members professionally trained in each of these disciplines. We leverage each other to create an integrated approach to design. For example, in a current large workplace project designed by our architects and interior designers, our product designers and graphic designers organized client workshops on user experience. The resulting program influenced how the workplace will operate and not just how it looks. For us, “more” is actually more.

OPPOSITE: ESPA SPA - Reception Lobby at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore - Courtesy MGA&D BELOW: FUUOKA HYATT REGENCY - The Golden Stair - Courtesy MGA&D

Patrick Burke (PB): Resorts World Sentosa, our largest project ever, involved all of our disciplines in one concerted effort. We master-planned the 4.7-billion-dollar, 3.5-million-square-foot integrated resort and designed all the buildings, except for the theme parks, and most of the interiors, including the casino, four of the six hotels, the ESPA spa and 16 food and beverage outlets.

Product design included furniture, surface design, carpets, light fixtures, table top items and so on. Graphic design included identity logos and signage and even a font invented by Michael Graves for the namesake Hotel Michael. The client saw value in having one international multi-disciplinary firm partner with a Singaporean architect because of the speed of design and quality of coordination.

The benefit to the client was getting the casino open as quickly as possible, and our international team could deliver services 24 hours a day.

YL: Your firm completed many projects all over the world in countries such as Singapore, Japan, China and Egypt. Could you talk about some of these projects and the challenges of working overseas?

PB: I have designed more projects overseas than any other architect in the firm. In my 35 years in practice, I have almost always had several projects outside the country. My career working abroad started with Euro Disneyland outside Paris. The context was familiar since I had gone to school in Paris and the project was dominated by American architects and an obviously American client. However, when we designed the first of six resort projects in Egypt, it was a different story. Instead of designing hotels that could be anywhere in the world (the client actually wanted us to emulate a project we’d designed in Miami), we realized that the character could more authentically interpret local vernacular. Local craftsmen could easily build low-scaled brick and stucco buildings with vaults and domes and create a visitor experience tied to the climate, culture and landscape. This was a great lesson in respecting the context.

We encountered similar situations in other places – from the

Canary Islands to Costa Rica -- where our clients equated new residential and resort architecture with Spanish Mission style.

That made no sense in Costa Rica, where there’s no Spanish tradition. As in Egypt, we created solutions that fit the context. Our challenges were convincing our clients that visitors really do seek experiences unique to the places they visit. This may not sound like such a revelation today, but earlier in my career, it was typical for the hospitality industry to prefer uniformity over uniqueness.

KN: Much of our work in Asia and Southeast Asia has been in more urban settings, including high-rise construction in Japan, India and Sri Lanka and city plans in China. We were one of the first American architects to practice robustly in Japan in the early 1980s. We designed nearly 20 projects there, many for the same developercontractor consortium. The great advantage of those projects was a pre-cast façade system we developed with the contractor, which produced highly finished results in a speedy time frame.

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Trevor Lamb (TL): Among the challenges of working overseas is acclimatizing to other working models, perspectives and expectations as well as navigating cultural differences. I tend to forget how much of my perception of the world is governed by the framework of my everyday life -- from the norms of my hometown and country to the norms of my family and my office. As such, it’s important to establish good rapport and open, clear communication with the project team so that all parties are working toward the same objective. Practically speaking, the challenge is usually “time.”

I’m an ardent believer in work/life balance, and atypical of my millennial birthright, eschew 24/7 communication and connectivity.

For me, scheduling calls, video conferences and response deadlines must be respectfully managed. This is a schedule challenge when working in Middle Eastern countries, where Sunday is the first day of the week, and Friday is a Sabbath. I find that creating positive working relationships and setting project expectations up front pay off over the life of a project.

Tom Argires (TA): For me, working on projects overseas is less a challenge than an opportunity to broaden my understanding of building processes. Working in countries with diverse project management structures and varying degrees of construction competency pushes architects to reconsider the design/building process and their role within that process. For instance, some

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countries place the architect at the top of the project responsibility matrix with the project management team and the contractor slightly different from the American standard. This reversal of roles makes us think about tasks such as negotiation, scheduling, sequencing, and construction techniques through a different lens.

YL: How does your firm typically get commissioned to work on overseas projects? (For example, competition? Client referral? Or simply because of your firm’s brand name?) What is your typical role in overseas projects? (For example, are you only hired to do the design?)

KN: We receive overseas commissions in the same ways as domestic projects. For Castalia, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport in The Hague - as well as the Mahler IV office building in Amsterdam and Hotel New York at Euro Disneyland, we were part of a team of architects that oversaw the master plan and then divided up the building design among its members. We often have repeat clients, like the ones we’ve mentioned in Egypt and Japan. We are also identified by reputation and past experience. A prominent hospitality project, like Resorts World Sentosa, gives us credibility to clients who want something in that field.

Sometimes, we’re chosen through invited design competitions, such as the headquarters of Fortis AG in Brussels or the Nile Corniche

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BOTTOM LEFT: LOUWMAN AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM - Courtesy MGA&D TOP RIGHT: RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA MASTER PLAN - Courtesy MGA&D BOTTOM RIGHT: WUSHAN RESORTS MASTER PLAN - Courtesy MGA&D

in Cairo - a two-million-square-foot mixed-use development that contains apartments and a St. Regis hotel. Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore resulted from a developer competition that required the applicant to submit a program, a design, a bid and an operating plan. We and DP Architects, our Singaporean associated architect, comprised the developer’s design team.

young designers and architects, this provides an incredible range of experience in project locations, building typologies and scales, and team dynamics. An immersive learning curve!

Typically, we do the design in the U.S., and the technical detailing and documentation are handled by local architects. In the Nile Corniche project, we and our associate HKS produced most of the architectural and interiors documents in the U.S. with advice from the local architect of record.

KN: The Wounded Warrior Homes is a program of mostly singlefamily housing for military personnel who have suffered some form of disability during their service or who have family members with disabilities. The houses are designed to accommodate various disabilities: impaired mobility, loss of hearing or sight, PTSD and others. Since Michael Graves was a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair for the last 12 years of his life, our firm developed a passion for applying our design skills to accessibility issues. We believe that we can make a difference, whether in a house designed by our architects or patient room furniture and medical equipment designed by our product designers, or signage legible to the visually impaired. In addition to being an architect and designer, Michael was a dedicated teacher who taught at Princeton University for 39 years and then at Notre Dame and the University of Miami. He was national chair of an AIAS program that had student designers create design solutions for people with disabilities. It’s always important for people with skills and knowledge to give back.

TL: One of the most invigorating parts of this firm is that we are constantly evolving the way we operate and responding to projectspecific needs. However, there is one hallmark of our international work that remains constant, in that we always perform the role of the design architect. While the scale of our overseas projects reaches millions of built square feet and decade-long timeframes for phased construction, MGA&D is solidly a mid-sized firm. This means we can focus on our strengths in design thought, conceptualization and early-stage problem-solving while teaming with other firms that specialize in later stage technical production. The firm is thus able to stay true to our roots and maintain the culture of a smaller office while having an expansive global reach. Most importantly, for

YL: Could you tell us about the Wounded Warrior Homes project?

Why is it important for architects to work on this type of project?

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YL: How does your firm support young professionals to become the next generation leaders of the firm? What training do they need to take on overseas projects?

KN: I’ve always thought that responsibility is as much taken as given.

We like to see how our young professionals seize opportunities to learn on the job. Forty years ago, Michael Graves gave me that leeway, and I haven’t looked back. I posed this question to a couple of our newer staff members to see how they would respond.

TL: MGA&D supports young professionals by allowing us to take both responsibility and the risk and reward that go hand in hand with that. Five years ago, when I joined MGA&D as a young architectural designer with a freshly minted M.Arch., our firm was undergoing internal reorganization. I was given the opportunity to take on client management and administrative responsibilities for the Nile Corniche, a 2-million-square-foot, mixed-use development in Cairo. At the time, I had little prior experience in a professional design firm, but the partners saw in me someone who could rise to a challenge, and so they challenged me. I was given access to materials and knowledge, in the form of project files, and to senior architects willing to answer questions, plus a little leeway to operate. As I gained more and more experience, I was given more and more responsibility and more leeway, continuously increasing my experience and knowledge. It has been a learn-bydoing experience. However, I think, more generally, it is a learn-bywatching process. MGA&D is good at involving junior designers in larger international projects at the earliest stages and thus allows us to observe how seasoned architects in the firm manage clients, project teams, and design. For emerging professionals, this provides invaluable, first hand exposure to a successful framework for how we, as a firm, like to run these projects.

Sara Minsley (SM): As a young professional working on overseas projects, I am being exposed to the importance of cultural sensitivity in design. This happens literally in form-making and iconography, especially when there might be unintended consequences. It’s been fascinating to learn how local customs and practices drive design.

For example, in a high-rise residential and commercial project we’re working on in Sri Lanka, the towers need to be naturally ventilated.

That drove the floor plans and façade design. If this project were happening in the United States, the plans and facades would have been influenced by other practices. In our projects, the architect plays an important role in synthesizing different cultural building practices while still maintaining our aesthetic design goals.

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surprised to realize that nearly one-third of our staff had never met Michael. Astonishing! Since Michael’s death, we’ve also brought on three more partners: Matt Ligas, Robert Blaser and James Wisniewski. Part of their job is to mentor the next generation.

YL: How did your firm evolve after the passing of its founder Michael Graves?

Since we are a firm with a rich history and a great portfolio, we try to bring recent employees up to speed with our values, philosophy and history. For example, we share the history of some of our best-known but older projects with the whole staff at all-hands meetings. I recently presented a 50-year look back at our relationship with the Newark Museum in the context of a new project that will open later this year.

KN: We are fortunate that Michael Graves always thought the firm would last beyond his lifetime and we planned for it. The three of us who are Senior Principals today – Patrick Burke, Tom Rowe, and I, Karen Nichols – were made partners in the 1990s. We’d been practicing in the same manner for years and, therefore, the daytoday operations of the firm and our design work were already in place. We actually got so busy the year that he died that we hired numerous new staff members. By the end of that year, we were

PB: In Michael’s last decade of life, he did many interviews where some of the questions asked him to look back over his career.

He was routinely asked, “What is your favorite project?” or “What do you think of as your legacy?” He always answered that his most meaningful achievement was the office that we all created together. Our diverse practice would be his greatest legacy. He hoped it would live on past him and past those of us who lead it today. He was incredibly proud of the talent and drive we have in

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Since Michael Graves was a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair for the last 12 years of his life, our firm developed a passion for applying our design skills to accessibility issues. We believe that we can make a difference, .

the firm.

YL: Anything you would like to add?

KN: I think that the most important lesson we can impart to young professionals is instilling in them a love for lifelong learning. We are fortunate to be in a profession where we encounter new challenges every day, whether the projects are next door or on another continent; whether they are an entire building or a chair. For me, that’s the fun of being an architect.â–

TOP RIGHT: HYATT REGENCY TABA HEIGHTS - Courtesy MGA&D BOTTOM RIGHT: SANYA SEAPLANE CENTER - Courtesy MGA&D Q2 - 2017

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THE CANADIAN MARKET

AN INTERVIEW WITH PERKINS + WILL, TORONTO / OTTAWA

BY YU-NGOK LO

Philip O' Sullivan, OAA, MRAIC

is a Senior Architect and Associate at Perkins + Will Toronto / Ottawa. He is a graduate of Ryerson University and the University of Toronto, where he received his Bachelor of Architectural Science (’02) and Masters of Architecture (’06) respectively. In 2011, O' Sullivan was a recognized as emerging talent in the list “40 Under 40” published in Design and Construction Magazine.

Yasin Visram, ARB, MRAIC

is a Senior Architect and Associate in the Toronto / Ottawa Office of Perkins + Will. He is a graduate of University of British Columbia, Vancouver, where he received his Bachelor of Architecture and from Syracuse University, where he received his Master of Architecture. He is also currently a member of Design Panel at the City of Hamilton, Ontario.

Nedra Brown

has been Registrar and In-House Counsel at the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) since 2011. She has worked with other not-for-profit organizations including Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) and the State Bar of Arizona.

Brown is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Perkins + Will is definitely a well-known architecture firm here in the U.S. However, you might not realize that it is also highly successful in the international market. It has satellite offices on different continents and has been serving clients all over the world. The CONNECTION team was able to have a conversation with Philip O’Sullivan and Yasin Visram, both Associates and Senior Architects of the Toronto / Ottawa office to talk about the firm’s operation.

Yu-Ngok Lo (YL): Could you tell us about the work your office does?

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Philip O' Sullivan (POS): We focus on many market sectors.

Currently, the majority of our work is in higher education (University and College’s), complemented with strong Corporate Interiors, Urban Design and Transit groups. The University of Toronto Scarborough campus's Highland Hall is currently under construction and scheduled for a September 2018 opening.

Humber College's Centre for Technology Innovation is also under construction. Our clients range from government agencies, postsecondary institutions and research and development firms to venture capitalists. The value (construction cost) of the projects varies depending on the type of work. The Toronto and Ottawa studios have vast experience in providing quality design to any budget.

Yasin Visram (YV): Similarly, we’re currently working on the Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex at Ryerson University, in Toronto. This is a unique 29 story urban high-rise project, combining academic facilities and a student residence. The project is currently under construction and due for completion in fall 2018.

Perkins + Will, as a corporation, has an SRI program (Social Responsibility Initiative), where we donate a portion of time to causes/groups that may otherwise not have the ability or the means to engage with design professionals. The projects under this program can range from annual charity events to actual built projects. The built projects are run similar to any other project in regards to staffing, budgets, documentation and execution site.

These projects can be incredibly gratifying from both staff and clients while fulfilling the larger social purpose agendas for the company. Design projects are vetted carefully for their viability to ensure success for the client. In 2016, the Toronto office completed a small interior renovation for an organization called Sketch. It was primarily a renovation of office space. Previous to this, the Toronto office also prepared a concept design of warehouse renovation for SEVA – a community Food Bank. This project is awaiting funding.

YL: Does your office support emerging professionals? (For example, pay for their time to take the architect registration exam, provide office study guides, mentoring, etc.)

POS: Our office supports our staff with paid time to study, provides study materials and covers the cost of the exams once they have been passed. We also have a strong group that mentors and gives advice on the approach to writing exams and studying.

We have a staff member dedicated to bringing in Lunch + Learns

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on topics that are relevant to the studio. We are also supporting many of our staff in gaining their LEED AP designations, as well as Passive House certification, and successfully completing the various professional exams that individual staff may be writing.

to the American brand. That said, once the reality of co-located offices is understood, there is a significant advantage to being able to draw from a varied knowledge library that extends across the globe.

YV: Perkins + Will also offers opportunities for staff to get involved in research and development through several streams, such as the Innovation Incubator, the P+W journal, the P+W Blog, etc. These are all ways in which individual staff members may explore and develop personal research interests.

Our strength as an organization is the deep and varied knowledge libraries that exist across our Canadian offices and which can be drawn upon to creatively respond to projects of varying types and complexity. This vast knowledge base is the key to remaining competitive in the Canadian market because it allows us to leverage the specific talents and expertise of our people across offices while remaining nimble to the needs and aspirations of our clients. The ability to draw upon a vast knowledge base that extends across regions is critical to our Canadian success. In terms of design development, our strength comes from our local offices that are

YL: How does a U.S. brand name compete in the Canadian market?

Could you tell us a little bit about the work flow of a typical project?

POS: There is significant time in getting the Canadian market used

ABOVE: CONCEPT RENDERING - University of Toronto Scarborough Campus - Highland Hall - Courtesy Perkins + Will

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Our design solutions are highly site specific; therefore, are produced in our office locally. responsible for ensuring that they execute projects from start to finish in a manner that benefits the client’s unique needs and wants.

Our design solutions are highly site-specific and context-driven. We believe that a contextual design response, developed by a local office that understands the vision and values of the client, is KEY to ensuring we provide a responsive design. Having to adhere to an overarching design brand would limit the project explorations that are undertaken for each project.

YV: Perkins + Will places a lot of emphasis on facilitation at the front end and assists the client to understand and articulate their requirements into a functional program and design brief. In this way, they’re directly involved in creating the building that is being designed and constructed for them.

YL: Let's say I am a U.S. graduate or licensed U.S. architect (emerging professional) in the US and am interested in working in the Perkins + Will’s Canadian offices. What do I need to do to prepare myself?

POS: Perkins+Will is always looking for inquisitive people who are passionate about design. Aside from that, I would look into the rules / regulations about the transfer of licensure / reciprocity from your specific state and the province you are looking to work in. This would typically be done by contacting the registrar in the province you are looking to move to and NCARB. This will be a great first step to being able to practice as a licensed architect in Canada.

Taking Philip's advice, our CONNECTION team reached out to

the Ontario Association of Architects and had a conversation with Nedra Brown to talk about the licensing structure in Canada.

YL: Could you please tell us a little bit about the licensing structure in Canada and what the mutual recognition agreement with NCARB is?

Nedra Brown (NB): There is no reciprocity between the IDP and the Internship in Architect Program (IAP), although most Canadian Licensing Authorities for Architects still accept AREs at this time, but that is likely to change as there is no Canadian content on those exams since the Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC) was developed. An Ontario intern may work anywhere in the world for an architect who is licensed in the jurisdiction where they are working, provided certain criteria are met. When all the criteria are met, the hours count for the program. Hours and the national exam are not the only requirements in Ontario.

The current Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with NCARB recognizes license plus 2000 hours of experience post-licensure as the main criteria for qualifying when you live and ordinarily work in a signatory jurisdiction. There are additional criteria including: not being licensed via any broadly experienced type program, being a U.S. citizen in the U.S. and a Canadian citizen in Canada, and applying from a jurisdiction that is signatory and that must be where you ordinarily work. Not all 54 U.S. jurisdictions are signatory to the Mutual Recognition Agreement. All 11 Canadian Licensing Authorities or Regulators are signatory to the MRA.■

OPPOSITE: CONCEPT RENDERING - The Daphne Cockwell Health Science Complex at Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario - Courtesy Perkins + Will ABOVE: CONCEPT RENDERING - Humber College - Center for Technology Innovation - Courtesy Perkins + Will

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FEATURE

JIANGXI NANCHANG GREENLAND ZIFENG TOWER

AN INTERVIEW WITH SILAS CHIOW OF SOM

BY VIKKI LEW

Silas Chiow, AIA

Silas Chiow has served as director of SOM's China office since 2003, steering the firm’s overall strategic objectives and growth of regional offices in close coordination with U.S.-based managing and design partners. He continues to be a strong proponent of sustainable urban design principles, particularly as a catalyst for innovative problem solving that can address the unique challenges of China’s 21st century cities. A New York licensed architect, Chiow was China Program Chair of AIA Hong Kong in 2008 and a Founding Member of AIA Shanghai in 2014.

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hicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has been in China for four decades, playing a lead role in creating new urban landmarks and smart cities for the fast-growing country.1,2 The firm has completed over 150 projects in China since the country’s economic reform. These landmark projects cut across a wide spectrum of building types including tall buildings, transport terminals, corporate campuses, cultural centers, government buildings and master planning. Last year, the firm’s Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Zifeng Tower won the Honor Award in Architect at AIA Hong Kong as well as the Top Tall Building Award by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).3,4,5 These honors recognize not only the design excellence created by U.S. architects, but also their global impacts, Tall Building in Emerging City The 56-story, 276-meter (906 feet) Zifeng Tower was first proposed in 2010.6 It was intended as the first major building in Nancheng, a city in the inland Jiangxi Province in southeast China. This region is undergoing a transition from an industrial hub to a high-tech city.

The tower is significant both as a landmark and recognition to the context. It has a square floor plate with a central core, allowing

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for a perimeter with views on all sides. The bottom two-third of the building are offices and the twenty floors make up a 300-room luxury hotel.5 This change in program is architecturally expressed by making the top floors a triangular recess. Called the “great window,” the void is oriented to the west, facing the older parts of Gaoxin, and to the east, facing the future development. Functionally, the “window” also reduces the number of floor plates on the upper floors, accommodating smaller floor area and maximizing window area required for the hotel.

High-Performance Facade The triangular motif is carried through to facade details. A diagrid system of aluminum fins wraps the entire tower to provide solar shading. The 750-millimeter-deep fins span diagonally across facade panels, collectively forming the triangular modules of the diagrid. The fins are structurally anchored to the building by a system of “nodes” that integrate the support bracket, LED-lights, and front and back aluminum panels. The standardization made the façade construction economical at a commercial scale and timeeffective for a tall building. At night, the fins light up at the nodes, defining a new landmark for the emerging city’s skyline.7,8

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LEFT & OPPOSITE: THE TRIANGULAR MOTIF IS CARRIED THROUGH FROM THE "GREAT WINDOW" ON TOP OF THE TOWER TO THE FACADE AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN. - Courtesy of Lv Hengzhong

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ABOVE: THE FACADE IS A STANDARDIZED DIAGRID SYSTEM OF EXTERIOR SOLAR SHADING - Courtesy of SOM

ABOVE: RENDERING OF THE ZIFENG TOWER SHOWING DESIGN INTENT INTACT FROM CONCEPT TO EXECUTION. - Courtesy of SOM

Sustainable Development The tower achieved LEED for Core and Shell silver certification, scoring 24 out of 28 points in sustainable sites and three out of four regional priority credits.9 The public plaza on the ground level, designed by landscape architect SWA Group, reiterates the triangular configurations in the turfs and hardscape. The roof of the retail podium is punctuated with triangular skylights, echoing the city-scaled “window” at top of the tower. 7

distinctive towers that alter the images of Chinese cities. For instance, Suzhou Greenland Tower, currently under construction, is a “breathing” tower emphasizing passive ventilation. Not far from Gaoxin District, Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza Parcel A is a set of twin towers utilizing cold bent glass for fluidic forms.10 The Zifeng Tower, however, stands out as the winner of the “favorite complete high-rise building” by the Greenland Group’s nationwide technical staff.11 The accolade stands for the intangible values that the U.S. architects bring to other parts of the world. ■

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ABOVE: THE "GREAT WINDOW" IS ORIENTED TO BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW IN NANCHANG. - Courtesy of SOM

References 1. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. (2017). SOM: China. Retrieved June 2017 at http://www.som.com/ expertise/regions/china 2. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. (2013). SOM in China. Retrieved June 2016 at http://www.som.com/ 3. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. (2016). Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Zifeng Tower. Retrieved June 2017 at http://www.som.com/projects/jiangxi_nanchang_greenland_zifeng_tower 4. AIA Hong Kong. (2016). Honors & Awards. Retrieved May 2017 at www.aiahk.org.

5. CITAB-CTBUH Name 2016 China Tall Building Award Recipients. February 25, 2016. Retrieved June 2017 from http://china-tall-building-awards.com/en/citab-ctbuh-name-2016-china-tallbuilding-award-recipients/ 6. CTBUH. (2017). Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Zifeng Tower. Retrieved June 2017 from http://www. skyscrapercenter.com/building/jiangxi-nanchang-greenland-zifeng-tower/13773

7. Berg, N. (2016). Jianchang Greenland Zifeng Tower. Retrieved at http://www.architectmagazine. com/project-gallery/jiangxi-nanchang-greenland-zifeng-tower_o 8. World Architecture Community. (2015). SOM’s New Greenland Zifeng Tower rises on the Nanchang skyline with pure crystallized image. Retrieved at http://www.worldarchitecture.org/ architecture-news/ccvpn/soms-new-greenland-zifeng-tower-rises-on-the-nanchang-skyline-withpure-crystallized-image.html 9. USGBC. (2016). LEED certified project directory. http://www.usgbc.org/projects/nanchanggreenland-zifeng-tower?view=scorecard 10. CTBUH. (2012). Selected Projects from the SOM/Greenland Portfolio. CTBUH Journal 2012 Issue III, pp 18-19.

11. SOM. (2015). Press release: “Favorite High Rise Building” for Staff of China’s Number One Developer Completed by SOM. Retrieved at http://www.som.com/news/favorite_high_rise_ building_for_staff_of_chinas_number_one_developer_completed_by_som

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LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM

INTERNATIONAL STARTUPS, ORLI+ AND ARCHITECTS-US

BY ALEX ALAIMO

T

he American Dream can have many meanings. For some young architects, it is having an international practice, but few can get their head around starting a practice — let alone an international practice. The challenge of entering a foreign market can be difficult without roots in that country. Working with clients and contractors internationally also poses great difficulty. The other side of the equation is that of foreign architects who want to practice in the United States. They combat equally difficult circumstances, including getting a visa and finding a job in the U.S. The commonality in both cases is how to bridge the cultural gap between nations and cultures. However, there are two young startups — ORLI+ and Architect-US — that aim to bridge the international gap and tackle the above issues, and they do so in very different ways.

The American Dream can be found in Operation Resilient Living and Innovation Plus (ORLI+) for its founders. ORLI+ is a startup organization looking to innovate the traditional business model to serve vulnerable communities in coastal countries around the world. ORLI+ was founded after Hurricane Sandy by students at New York Institute of Technology to help their own communities recover in the wake of the hurricane. Since its founding, the group has aimed to work internationally. Daniel Horn, whose house was flooded by Sandy, explains, “We want to take what we learned from Superstorm Sandy and apply it to vulnerable communities.”

Naturally, resiliency became the core competency and cornerstone of the group’s work.

They have great intentions that they hope to execute in a two-part model of practice. First, they conduct operations domestically as expert consultants on resilience. They actively look for opportunities to participate in resilience-based design competitions as well as speaking engagements and workshops. They hope this active engagement model will lead to work in consulting architectural and engineering firms. At the core of ORLI+’s philosophy is the belief that true resilience comes from community. The second model involves working internationally in vulnerable communities, where their goal is to build resilient and vernacularly appropriate housing in communities at risk. They hope that the consulting work will be able to partially fund or kick-start much of the international resilience work.

of Siargao, the prospective location for their first project. They hope to build a pilot project where they can explore stronger and more resilient construction techniques with local labor. They plan to use a hospitality kickstarter campaign to fund the initial pilot project by offering room stays in the project. Once built and the construction process proven, they will develop workshops to help locals construct more homes.

The biggest challenge and largest part of their work will be engagement and teaching locals resilient culture as well as encouraging the adoption of it. Their complete vision includes instructing the locals on how to build safer and stronger homes using the materials they already have. Reed explained, “They have a culture of rebuilding after a storm hits, and they don't even have a way to tell if there is a typhoon coming — it just hits.” Part of their work will be injecting some culture of planning to prevent costly damage due to storms. The foundation is of highest concern, with many existing structures barely having one. According to Horn, if they can teach the importance of having a strong foundation, much can be achieved. Community is the main deliverable, however, as explained by Horn: “The locals use a word, bayanihan, to describe the community spirit. That is what we want to keep, but add a level of safety and resilience.” For the founders of ORLI+, it's their American Dream to work internationally, and they believe they have a path forward.

Architect-US is looking at a very different problem: international workers wanting to live the American Dream. Patricia Garcia of Spain started the program in New York in 2015, based on her experience of getting a job in the United States. She worked at HOK for three years and faced the difficulties of coming from Spain

The question remains: How does a group of five obtain design work in foreign countries? Fortunately, for ORLI+, they have a globetrotting team member, Austin Reed, who backpacked his way through the South Pacific and Africa. Along his journey, he made critical contacts in the Philippines, specifically on the island

ABOVE: Building a local trust starts with one person at a time Courtesy of Austin Reed OPPOSITE: Interviewing locals on Siargao Island - Courtesy of Austin Reed

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The locals use a word Bayanihan to describe the community spirit, that is what we want to keep but add a level of safety and resilience.

firsthand. She decided to take her struggle and create a business out of it. Today, Architect-US has placed nearly 60 international workers from 20 countries in jobs across the United States.

Architect-US puts a twist on the traditional recruitment model.

The key innovation is an agreement Garcia made with the US Department of State, which makes the program a cultural exchange program. She gets to fill a specified number of visas based on this program. Garcia offers two products for prospective workers — most coming from Spain but also other European countries — one, where she only offers the visa and the individual must find their own job, and the second being that she connects candidates to an employer. This bundling has proven to be much desired, especially in economically troubled countries such as Spain.

Garcia’s critical work includes getting firms to sign on in the United States. She has some roots here and travels to New York and other major cities several times a year to talk to firm principles and pitch her program. Her selling points are simple: a pool of great talent looking for the opportunity to come to the United States.

Garcia offers each firm several candidates to choose from. The J-1 Visa is provided by Architect-US at no expense to the employer.

She also maintains that adding foreign workers strengthens the diversity and thought of a firm.

Finally, a big part of the Architect-US program is in creating engagement. Garcia mandates that her participants blog and show how much fun they are having in the United States. She maintains that creating community, especially within the same city, is critical. Garcia often tries to get the participants together for picnics or drinks to create that sense of community needed in a big city. Engagement is also key in her marketing strategy to get prospective workers interested in paying the program signup fee.

Some employees even get offers of full-time positions after their J-1 expires. This is the best outcome for both Patricia and the program and opens up the American Dream for many.

Whether it's the American Dream of international practice or sharing the American Dream with our neighbors overseas, architecture has the power to connect. When you look deeper, both startups use a similar formula to overcome the business and cultural challenges they face: an innovative business model, method for business development overseas and program of engagement.

Hopefully, more young architects will be bold enough to strive for their American Dream and take the risks needed to engage in international practice. ■ For more info visit: www.orliplus.org and www.architect-us.com

Alex Alaimo, AIA

currently serves as a Director at Large for the AIA National Associates Committee (NAC) where he serves to promotes engagement among emerging professionals. He served as Co-Chair of Emerging New York Architects of the AIA NY chapter. Aaimo graduated B.Arch. at NYIT and currently employed

by PBDW Architects in New York.

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WEAVING INTERNATIONAL WORK INTO YOUR ARCHITECTURE CAREER

BY LUCAS GRAY

Lucas Gray, Assoc. AIA

co-founded Propel Studio, an award winning firm based in Portland, Oregon. Gray earned a Bachelor of Science, Architecture degree from McGill University, a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon and is a LEED A.P. He has served on the AIA National Associates Committee, was a board member of AIA Portland and AIA Oregon, and is the founder of the architecture blog Talkitect.com. Lucas has been an adjunct professor at Portland State University and a guest design critic at the University of Oregon. He has worked in Albany, Montreal, Bangkok, Shanghai, Eugene, Berlin, Portland and Japan.

I

spent a large portion of my early career living and working abroad.

It wasn’t a conscious decision I made when plotting my career path, but it came naturally as I looked for opportunities to travel, live in new places, and explore new cities and cultures.

I began my international career by attending McGill University in Montreal for my undergraduate studies. Upon graduation, I moved to Bangkok, Thailand, where I lived and worked for a year for CH2MHill doing project management. I then transferred to their Shanghai office, where I worked on master planning for industrial projects for another six months. I then left and moved to a boutique design firm, spending another year and a half working

on competition entries for buildings, large developments, and urban plans around China.

I returned to the U.S. for graduate school, earning a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon. Upon graduation, I attended the Glenn Murcutt International Masters, Class in Australia, before embarking on a journey from Japan to Germany over land and sea. I settled in Berlin for two years working for a small residential office before joining a larger firm that worked on projects in Germany and international projects, from train stations in Russia to mixed-use developments in China and Vietnam.

Finally, I moved back to the states, relocating to Portland, Oregon, where I could lay roots and start a practice -- Propel Studio -- with a couple of partners, one of who is from Vietnam. Now our firm works on residential, tactical urbanism, and public interest design projects. Most of our work is local, but we are working on a project in Aridagawa, a small town in Japan, and are currently pursuing opportunities in Vietnam as well.

SHOW UP If you are interested in finding a job abroad, my biggest recommendation is to show up where you want to live. Most firms can’t afford to sponsor visas and move people across the world.

Large offices might be able to do this but not the smaller firms that make up the majority of our profession. Networking is also the single best way to get hired -- you need some sort of personal connection, and being based locally is the best way to integrate yourself into the design community.

Tap your existing network as well. The first job I had after moving to Berlin was with an architect who went to the University of Oregon and was friends with one of my professors. The world is smaller than you think, and there is a good chance you can develop leads in almost any city in the world through your existing circles.

ABOVE: CAO HE JING TOWERS, SHANGHAI, CHINA - Courtesy of Lucas Gray / Brearley Architects & Urbanists

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These opportunities were exciting, fast paced, and exposed me to a wide range of project types.

Offer something to the firm -- I built my network by starting a blog.

I interviewed architects around Berlin and offered to publish their work. This is an easy way to get your foot in the door, rather than just asking them for something. People are more responsive when they see direct value for their company. At the end of an interview with one architect, he said that his friend was looking to hire someone.

Three days later, I had a job.

Although getting hired locally is much easier, it does bring some challenges. Primarily, it requires that you front the cost of travel and finding accommodations in your new city. If you can get hired at a foreign firm while still living in a different country, often, they will facilitate the bureaucracy and financial costs of moving. This can make the transition a lot smoother -- I always worried about visas after receiving job offers -- and affordable.

OPPORTUNITIES An American education is well-regarded and valued around the world. It opens doors and is respected in most countries I’ve lived and worked in. Especially in Asia, being an American-trained architect provided opportunities I never would have been given working in the U.S. I was hired to primarily work on schematic design. The firms I worked for in Shanghai hired foreign staff to lead the design efforts while relying on local architects to address the codes, regulations, drafting, and rendering of tasks.

My experience was working in small teams, with two to three people, on competition entries on a wide variety of project types.

We would develop conceptual ideas, and spend an intense two to three weeks developing the concepts and putting together a design proposal. Then, we would ship off our entry, and start the process over on a new project. I worked on 30,000-seat soccer stadiums, K-12 school campuses for 5000+ students, resort hotels, business parks, 60-story towers, urban plans for entire new cities, and highrise housing and commercial developments, to name a few.

These opportunities were exciting, fast-paced, and exposed me to a wide range of project types. It also made use of the training we actually receive in architectural school -- developing schematic design ideas and presenting our concepts with compelling graphics and storytelling. I didn’t have to focus on code issues, or the technical aspects of architecture as we only developed the projects that we won; usually the local architects would take on those roles.

Further, the government design institutes in China absorb much of that work from the private firms.

The other reason why everyone should experience living abroad, is there is so much to learn, experience, see, and taste. You get to experience incredible landscapes and beautiful architecture, taste incredible food, learn about different religions, and meet people with different backgrounds and upbringings. It opens your eyes to

ABOVE: ZHAO JIA JIAO RETAIL PROJECT, SHANGHAI, CHINA - Courtesy of Lucas Gray

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new lifestyles and changes what you think of as being "normal." CHALLENGES It shows that there are different views of every issue and people My experience is a huge departure from how most people move chose to live in infinite, diverse ways. through the architectural career path and how architecture is practiced in most U.S. firms. I never learned how to detail or how to Too often, Americans think that the way we do things is the best assemble a construction document set according to U.S. standards. way. We think that, even if it isn’t perfect, our lifestyle is better than I was never stuck spending hours working on picking up redlines those of other countries. However, as designers, we need to put or working through the zoning and building codes that regulate ourselves in other people’s shoes, to look at the world and the built so much of what we can design. I also wasn’t working for U.S. environment from the point of view of the users of our buildings. architects while abroad, so I lost about five years of potential IDP Living abroad forces you to confront the different ways that people hours, disrupting the licensure process and ultimately convincing use buildings, and interact with the built environment, and the ways me not to pursue licensure in the U.S. architecture can respond to context and climate. This education is invaluable.

When I returned to the U.S. market, many local firms had trouble valuing my experience and interpreted my portfolio and resume I also want to mention another reason why moving or finding work more as a recent graduate than someone with 5+ years of abroad might be beneficial. I graduated from the University of Oregon experience. It was hard to find a similar environment to what I had in 2008, in the midst of one of the worst recessions in decades. The experienced working for these creative firms abroad. It was hard to architectural job market in the U.S., at the time, was crumbling enter the workforce as someone who wasn’t given the opportunity and jobs were scarce, driving many away from the profession to participate in the conceptual design process, but rather spent completely. Despite the U.S. recession, I was lucky enough to avoid most of my time on Revit developing other people’s ideas. This was the worst of it. Berlin was still a thriving city, and work wasn’t hard to a challenge that ultimately led to me starting my own firm with a come by. Although there are global repercussions when a country couple of partners. with the economic power of the U.S. hits a recession, it might not affect the construction industry in the same way around the world. There were other challenges living and working abroad. There Diversifying your client base, or looking for jobs in places that are are language barriers and cultural barriers that can make some still building is a great way to build your experience. Even if the local aspects of life difficult, both within an office and outside a firm. It isn’t market can’t support your practice or provide the jobs needed to always easy to make close friends, especially with locals. There are continue your career growth. aspects of different cultures that I wasn’t used to and could create tension within a small team of designers. It was often very difficult to communicate your design ideas across multiple languages, and there are also cultural expectations, in regard to design, that didn’t always align with my tastes or training.

Language barriers extended to the legal aspects of moving, living, and working abroad. Navigating the visa requirements, government forms, health care, taxes, banking, and seemingly simple things, like setting up phones, in foreign countries wasn’t easy. I only got through it with a lot of support from friends I made, colleagues at the places I worked, and a strong network of expats who share their experiences.

FINDING CLIENTS ABROAD Running a firm based in the U.S. and looking for work abroad is a different challenge. Propel Studio has been lucky to be connected with some clients in Japan through a local government agency called the Portland Development Commission. We have also worked with

ABOVE: ARIDAGAWA COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP - Courtesy of Lucas Gray

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My experience is a huge departure from how most people move through the architectural career path and how architecture is practiced in most U.S. firms. the U.S. Commercial Service to help identify leads abroad. It has a series of programs in place to help American companies find international clients. The government can be a great ally and open doors to opportunities abroad.

The work we did in Aridagawa, Japan was a result of a program in Portland, called We Build Green Cities, where the city actively help exporting local design firms to clients abroad. We built a relationship with one of their key staff members, Mistu Yamasaki, who connects design firms and local developers with clients and investors from Japan. He basically did all the leg-work and just handed the project to us, and teaming us with the local planning and Landscape Architecture firm, PLACE, to run a series of community design workshops focused on creating a new community center/business incubator in the small community. You can see the results of our workshops here: https://www.propelstudio.com/project/aridagawa.

I have to admit this was due to a bit of luck, but it was also a result of networking and expressing the desire to continue practicing

internationally.

We are now looking for new opportunities in the Japanese market - I’ve even transferred my membership to AIA Japan - and will be returning to Japan in October to see progress on our project, give presentations about our work, and find new project leads. Similarly, we are pursuing opportunities in Vietnam and have identified Singapore and Thailand as other target markets we would like to pursue.

If you are interested in moving and working abroad or pursuing international projects and have questions you are welcome to get in touch. I’m happy to share my experience and offer any advice I can. ■ Lucas Gray, Assoc. AIA 503-453-7195 lucas@propelstudio.com www.propelstudio.com

ABOVE: ARIDAGAWA COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP - Courtesy of Lucas Gray

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FEATURE

HIDDEN CITIES - O-OFFICE

AN INTERVIEW WITH DESIGN VANGUARD

BY VIKKI LEW

Jianxiang He & Ying Jiang

co-founded their independent practice, O-office Architects, in 2007. Based in Guangzhou, China, the practice focuses on the re-collection, reservation and re-establishment of the Pearl River Delta area’s urban history and urban morphology. Its works have won multiple international design awards, including Architectural Records' Design Vanguard in 2015.

A

s one-third of construction activity worldwide occurs in China, the country’s rapid urbanization offers young architects tremendous opportunities for starting its own independent practices. In this regard, Guangzhou-based O-office stands out for their industry heritage unique to the Pearl River Delta, the world's largest megalopolis formed by eleven cities in southern China. Founded by Jianxiang He and Ying Jiang in 2007, O-office has already won numerous international accolades, including Architectural Record’s 2015 Design Vanguard award. They were also invited speakers at AIA Hong Kong Young Architects Forum in 2016.

He and Jiang both pursued advanced degrees in Europe after undergraduate studies in China. The two partners founded O-office to explore new possibilities in contemporary China. The letter "O" in the company's name stands for "original." Contrary to the skyscraper and commercial business districts (CBDs) often

associated with China's urbanization, He and Jiang have a different Guangzhou in mind. Referencing the horizontal landscape that they grew up in, the building environment they imagine is horizontal, with low-rise buildings and roofscapes lining up with antennae, receiving television signals from Hong Kong. These days, architecture has sometimes become a spectacle, emphasizing the newest and most glamorous work. But what O-office is striving for is to work in the "hidden-cities," where people often are removed from the spectacles of rapid urbanization. Working primarily in the Pearl River Delta region of southern China, the firm consists of a team of multi-disciplinary young talents. The firm’s works can be broadly categorized as architecture, renovation, installation, and urbanism.

In a recent lecture at the School of Architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, O-office weaved its projects into four episodes -- landscape, nature, ruins, and v-cities – to illustrate its projects and design thinking.

ABOVE: A FORMER FLOWER WARM HOUSE WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A LANDSCAPE DESIGN STUDIO. GLAZED PARTITIONS WERE USED TO EMPHASIZE DAYLIGHTING AND TRANSPARENCY. - Courtesy of O-office Architects.

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Ruins are everywhere in the Pearl River Delta as social-economic condition in the region changes rapidly.

Landscape — Feng Jing The first episode, feng jing, can be roughly translated as "landscape" in English. The Chinese term refers to the personal emotion, feeling and experience of the natural environment. According to Chinese scholastic notions, one's perception of a garden is a state of mind.

In their Brick Garden private residence project, the architects adopted a courtyard scheme: opaque on the outside but opened on the inside. Taking the opportunity to explore local materials and contractor capability, they chose a grey brick transported from Zhejiang Province of China. To ensure workmanship met their design intent, the architects also hired masons from the Zhejiang area, who brought with them the construction skills necessary for the project. The building façade was built completely in brick — even the windows were covered with grey bricks in a lattice pattern. Contrary to the opaque exterior, the central courtyard was surrounded by veranda, opening up to sky.

Nature In their following Work-Studio project, the architects extended the courtyard theme and transformed a former plant-house into a green studio. In the original building, workers in the south-facing flower warm house worked under a covered roof. The architects perceived the potential design by imagining that there were still workers in the abandoned building. The abundance of daylight for growing flowers in the building's former location was preserved. Considering that transportation was difficult on a hilly site, the architects trained workers to perform works on-site rather than importing to the site.

For instance, the galvanized steel poles and the wooden window frames "floating" on the glass panes were all fabricated on-site.

ABOVE: O-OFFICE'S OWN STUDIO IS HOUSED ON THE TOP FLOOR OF A FORMER BEER SILO BUILDING. - Courtesy of O-office Architects.

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Ruin Throughout history, ruins have had a significant impact on Western civilization. Ironically, ruins are everywhere in the Pearl River Delta as social-economic conditions in the region change quickly. In this new urban context, O-office regards architectural conservation as a means to reserve not only physical space, but also history.

In the 2013 Shenzhen-Hong Kong Biennale, the firm was among numerous regional architects that transformed a four-hectare factory site into an art venue. Their installation, titled Reconversion, was constructed inside the site’s central silo building, which was used for glass production. In plan, the 78-meter-long building had four concrete silos, each 14 meters in diameter, in the center of the building. The architect’s design intent was to keep the industrial quality intact while introducing a very light circulation to guide visitors to experience the mechanical setting. A ramp was installed inside one of the four silos, where visitors could stroll down the 30 meter-tall industrial space. Large openings on the floor slabs, originally for equipment ducts, were in-filled with glass.

In the same spirit of repurposing former industrial buildings, the architects renovated a 38m-high former beer silo building in the old downtown Guangzhou in 2012. Built in the 1960s, the top floor was once the inlet level for wheat berries and now serves as Ooffice's own studio. The six silo-tops became balconies overlooking the Pearl River, where the architects and visitors can reconnect with nature.

V-Cities The last episode, v-cities, concerns the duality between villages and cities. The idea of “village” qualities takes on more significance at a time when urbanization is happening so rapidly. The iD Town Art District in Shenzhen consists of 18 buildings to be constructed

ABOVE: RECONVERSION - A RAMP WAS INSTALLED INSIDE

ONE OF THE FOUR SILOS, WHERE VISITORS COULD STROLL DOWN THE 30M TALL INDUSTRIAL SPACE. - Courtesy of -O-office Architects.

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over two decades. As of this year, O-office has completed three renovation buildings and has begun to see the emerging sense of community developing. The first project was the renovation of a former worker dormitory building into a youth hostel. The original building provided shelter to factory workers flowing into southern China during the country’s open-reform policy. Although the building’s function for accommodation remained the same, the renovation transforms its bleak workers environment into a lively building. The ground level now houses a lobby with hotel service, café, and common space, encouraging inhabitants to mingle or enjoy cultural activities. On the exterior, the rusted concrete façades were refurbished with projected dark metal window boxes. Those on the ground floor were shaped like gable-roofed houses and in-filled with colored glass. These new elements created a lively contrast against the original concrete walls.

Founded only a decade ago, emerging firm O-office has built a prolific and impressive portfolio encompassing architecture, interior design, installation, landscape design, furniture design and even research. Educated overseas and based in Guangzhou, China, the firm’s founders, Jianxiang He and Ying Jiang, represent a new generation of architects who are globally-minded while grounded in the context. As international winners of the Design Vanguard, they look to the future without forgetting the past. ■

References He, J. (2017). He Jianxiang: The Hidden City. Video accessed at the School of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong Kong website at http://www.arch.cuhk.edu.hk/event/jianxiang-hidden-city/ He, J. (2016). He Jianxiang: The Hidden City. Lecture at Emerge! AiA Hong Kong Young Architects Forum.

O-office. (2014). O-Magazine. Retreived at http://www.o-officearch.com

ABOVE: LARGE OPENINGS ON THE FLOOR SLABS, ORIGINALLY FOR EQUIPMENT DUCTS, WERE INFILLED WITH GLASS. - Courtesy of O-office Architects.

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In the rapid urbanization, architectural conservation becomes a mean to reserve not only physical space but also history.

ABOVE: ID TOWN IS AN ART DISTRICT IN SHENZHEN, CHINA. AT ITS CENTER IS A YOUTH HOSTEL REPURPOSED FROM A FORMER MIGRANT WORKER'S DORMITORY. Courtesy of O-office Architects.

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EVOLVED ARCHITECTURAL ECLECTIC AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS WOO-HYUN CHO OF THEEAE

BY VIKKI LEW

Chris Woo-Hyun Woo-hyun Cho, AIA has over 14 graduated from years Virginia of experience Polytechnic in Institute diverse with building a Mastertypes, of Architecture. including He has overcommercial, transport, 14 years of experience religious, cultural in diverseinstitutions, building types government, including transport, interiors, residential commercial, and master religious, planning. culturalCho institutions, graduated from government, Virginia residential interiors, Polytechnic Institute and withmaster a Master planning. of Architecture A licensedand architect is a licensed in New York, he founded architect in New York.

TheeAe He founded Limited in TheeAe 2011. Limited in 2011.

As U.S. architects expand the reach of their professional services abroad, it is not uncommon to find young architects trained in the U.S. establishing practices overseas. CONNECTION talked with Chris Woo-Hyun Cho, a native Korean and New York-licensed architect, who found TheeAe in Hong Kong. Cho founded the firm in 2011 to broaden his view on "good architecture" -- a context-driven design process that begins with finding the values embedded in our surroundings that ultimately enrich our lives. His projects include Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport; the Dulles International Airport expansion; Bellagio & MGM Grand Mumbai Hotel; and various cultural, religious and government projects in Korea, China and Europe.

Vikki Lew (VL): Can you tell us a little bit about your firm THEEAE? What inspired you to start your own practice?

Chris Woo-Hyun Cho (CC): While it sounds nice to create a firm based on "inspiration,� my story happened due to personal circumstances. My various experiences led me in a direction I never knew existed. In 2010, before starting my own practice, I was working in an established U.S. firm as a senior architect. After moving from

New York to Hong Kong, I found myself not fitting in well with the local working culture. It was quite stressful for me to overcome the office cultural differences between what I had experienced in the United States and what was happening in Hong Kong.

At the time, I felt the only choices were to establish my own firm or to relocate back to Korea or the U.S. Coincidentally, right after I registered the firm in Hong Kong, I received an email from my acquaintance in Korea, and it led me to my first project. "TheeAe" is an abbreviation of The Evolved Architectural Eclectic, which is an idea I came up with long before I started my own office. It was derived from my thesis, and I always wanted to develop this idea further. In short, it is derived from a thought that good architecture should respect places, history, and culture. Eclectic is a mixture of elements. The elements we find from the surroundings, in relation to people’s physical and emotional realms, are linked to the environment in the past and present. From this contextualized understanding, I believe a unique yet memorable space can be made.

VL: What motivated you to work as a cross-country firm? Why did you choose to base your firm in Hong Kong?

CC: In addition to the circumstances and timing which led me to start my own practice, Hong Kong was quite an international city, and the process of setting up a new office was relatively easy. All you had to do was apply for a visa and register your office. Many tax-related issues could be solved by hiring a local accountant at an affordable price. Furthermore, Hong Kong is centrally located in Asia. It is easy to travel to Korea and mainland China. It is also very close to Macau, which offers opportunities for hospitality projects.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan are in close proximity to Hong Kong. Given the geographical advantage, Hong Kong is a good place to explore new markets in Asia.

ABOVE: PC CHURCH - COMMISSIONED DESIGN PROPOSAL FOR A CHURCH BUILDING IN DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA. - Courtesy of TheeAe

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RIGHT: IN THE COMPETITION ENTRY FOR THE VARNA CITY LIBRARY, BULGARIA, THEEAE PROPOSED A BUILDING FORM IN RESPONSE TO THE RAIN AND SNOW SEASONS. - Courtesy of TheeAe

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It is derived from a thought that good architecture respects places, history, and culture.

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VL: What are the challenges you face establishing your practice?

CC: There are basically two challenges we have faced. The first challenge is getting projects. Before establishing a reputation, it is difficult to foresee where the next project will come from. The bottom line is that we worked hard to maintain our capital at a certain level to maintain the office’s overhead expenses. When the projects we currently have are almost complete, we start strategizing a plan to get the next project -- to keep the office running. The second challenge is whether I accept or refuse a job to maintain the firm’s design quality and dignity. Ever since I started running the office, we have been fortunate in always having project opportunities. The question then becomes whether a specific project will help us move forward or degrade our value and hinder us from getting better projects in the future.

VL: How did you land your subsequent projects?

CC: Our first commission was from the pastor of a church I used to attend. When I was in college, my final project was a church building. He admired my dedication to church design. The project was brought to the attention of the church members after the pastor showcased it in the main corridor of the church. Ten years later, this school project led to my first professional project. We were awarded a subsequent project one year after the church commission -- it was

referred to us from the church community in that region. After the completion of this project, our design services expanded in Hong Kong to include interior design services. We are now expanding to other countries in Asia as well.

VL: You are very prolific in entering design competitions. Can you share with us your process and decision to participate in competitions?

CC: Competitions are demanding yet rewarding. Four or five out of ten projects we participate in each year are competition projects.

Competition projects comprise almost 50 percent of the work in our office. While this may seem like too much, personally, I love this kind of work ̶ even though it requires a great deal of energy, time, and financial support.

The first reason I still insist on entering competitions is that it aligns our office with global firms. Second, our team enjoys the competitions, and this type of work makes the office environment more vibrant and active. The energy [and experience] we reap from creating design that we value also equips us with software and presentation skills that prepare us for future clients' demands.

Third, competition work provides marketing materials to share with potential clients through media, such as social media, websites, or magazines. Finally, even though we are going up against

ABOVE: THEEAE'S CONSTRUCTED PROJECTS INCLUDE HANBING DESSERT CAFÉ (LEFT), NENE CHICKEN (CENTER), AND THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF (RIGHT). - Courtesy of TheeAe

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Prospective clients in our profession often require the highest level of assurance. In this regard, U.S.trained architects are one step ahead to begin with. international firms, there is still a small chance to win and even receive a commission directly from competitions.

VL: How do people view young architects/firm owners like yourself in your markets?

VL: You also are working on various smaller-scale projects. Can you tell us more about your built projects? How do you balance the two types of work in parallel?

CC: In my personal experience, I recently met a president of a mega-sized company in Korea who needed our services for their showroom. His opinion toward a young owner like me was very respectful, especially because he also started his own business while he was young. He liked the enthusiasm and energy that our firm brought to the project.

CC: Our interior projects are mostly in Hong Kong. So far, our project sizes range from 1,000-5,000 square feet. Our interior projects are mostly coffee shops, restaurants, showrooms, offices and residential projects. For small projects, we are involved in the design, from conception to realization. Basically, we design and build. We manage quality on-site by finding and purchasing materials for the contractors to use. When an interiors project begins the construction phase, we normally pause our competition work. Once the project is going smoothly, which frees us from the intensive site work, we resume our competitions. Sometimes, we have to balance design-build and competition projects at the same time. It is quite demanding, but thus far, we have managed both without compromising any competition submissions or design-build projects.

VL: Do your clients appreciate the value you bring to the table as a U.S.-trained architect? Does it provide you with a competitive edge against other firms?

CC: The answer is "yes." I have found Asian clients prefer, or even trust, U.S.-trained architects more. The reason could trace back to the education system. Furthermore, U.S. trained architects are generally more thorough on their construction documentation due to the higher liability risk in the U.S. Therefore, it is a great advantage for prospective clients who seek a high level of quality assurance.

In this regard, U.S.-trained architects start out one step ahead.

However, this advantage has not led us (small firm practitioners) to win projects against other firms yet, possibly because there are plenty of U.S. mega firms around the globe competing. â–

ABOVE: IN THE GUGGENHEIM HELSINKI MUSEUM COMPETITION ENTRY, THEEAE IMAGINED A BUILDING THAT REPRESENTS FROZEN ICE MELTING AWAY FROM THE LANDSCAPE. - Courtesy of TheeAe

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CHINESE ENTREPRENEUR

AN INTERVIEW WITH YONDER DESIGN STUDIO

BY YU-NGOK LO

Tingwei Xu, Assoc. AIA

is the founder of Yonder Design Studio in Shanghai, China. He received his Master of Architecture degree from University of Pennsylvanian. His work is published at various architectural media including Architizer, Evolo and the Daily Pennsylvanian.

I worked at Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects for several years with Tingwei Xu. During his time at TSK, Xu was responsible for many large-scale international projects exhibiting a commitment to design excellence. In addition to his professional work, Xu helped fellow international UCLA graduates find successful career paths as practicing architects in the United States. In 2015 Xu and I cofounded the Center of American Architects for Chinese Nationals to further this mission.

In 2016, after working and studying in the US for more than five years, Xu returned to China to start another chapter in his career.

His continued success is marked by the opening of his own firm in Shanghai.

I spoke with Xu regarding his experience as an architect trained in the US and now practicing in Shanghai as the founder of Yonder Design Studio.

Yu-Ngok Lo (YL): Tell us a bit about your academic and professional background.

Tingwei Xu (TX): I came to the US for graduate school in August 2011 after completing my Bachelor of Architecture in China. I later received a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as an intern for Tom Wiscombe Studio in Los Angeles in 2013. Several months later, due to work visa issues, I left the studio and switched to a Las Vegas design firm, Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects. In 2016, I left the firm and went back to China (to start my own firm, Yonder Design Studio).

YL: What has your experience been working on international projects while employed by different U.S. firms (TSK and RTKL)?

TX: Working in the U.S. has been a very different experience than working in China. Team members of U.S. firms are very diverse. The collaboration of people with different educational backgrounds and approaches on a project is truly magnificent. This aspect of diverse collaboration and interaction is very valuable and rarely seen in China. In China, most of the educational programs in architecture schools have very similar training. After graduation, designers are still accustomed to working with colleagues who hold the same design logic or approach. There is a Chinese saying, “a thousand cities, one image,” depicting the lack of individual personality and character found in many Chinese cities. Being exposed to many different ideas in a diverse firm setting has been invaluable to my architectural career.

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At the same time, international design companies, such as RTKL, have nearly 20 years of commercial design experience in the major cities of China. They have created many unique and popular commercial projects. For instance, Shenzhen Vientiane City (Shenzhen Mixed-C, 2004) and other projects have had a significant impact on real estate development in Shenzhen. The experience of working in highly-recognized U.S. architectural firms has greatly enhanced my professional skills.

YL: Tell us about your own firm, Yonder Design Studio. What motivated you to move back to China and start your own firm? How do you compete against the many big architecture firms in China?

TX: My company, Yonder Design Studio, is based in Shanghai.

We started in 2017 and are a start-up of five designers. We are currently working on a small commercial project in Wuhan, the largest city in central China. There is a boutique hotel project in the ancient city of Quanzhou, in the southeastern region of China.

We are also working on an interior renovation project in Hangzhou, which was completed prior to the G20 meeting.

The motivation to return home is simple: China has many opportunities. The United States has experienced a period of rapid urban development, which means that there are not as many opportunities at this time. Even for large [architecture] companies, a significant portion of their business is supported by projects outside of the United States. In China, designers as young as thirty years old can have the opportunity to be responsible for large-scale projects. I also feel more comfortable working in an environment with familiar social rules, especially when interacting with clients and consultants.

My experience working in the United States has also been very helpful because many Chinese clients appreciate designers with an international background.

In regard to your second question: Yonder Design Studio’s services are competitive because our fees are cheaper (at about half) compared to many big companies. Because our company is smaller, we can operate at a much lower cost. Second, many international companies focus on large-scale projects such as shopping centers, luxury hotels, skyscrapers, etc. Small- or medium-sized projects and renovation projects are widely available in China. We focus on these markets to avoid having to compete with big firms.

Finally, as a small, local company, our services are more flexible.

We interact, communicate and coordinate closely with our clients.

Many first-time owners demand timely responses from the design team, especially when problems arise during construction. Large companies may not be as efficient in meeting clients’ demands.

YL: What are some of the challenges of working in China?

TX: The biggest challenge is that Chinese clients are generally not as knowledgeable (on construction projects) as American

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The education and work experience in the United States have been of great help to my career in China. real estate developers. Many of our Chinese clients don’t have a clear understanding of the project’s goals, such as project positioning, leasing, programming, development strategies, etc.

This inexperience leads to many changes during the design phase.

Moreover, Chinese clients are typically also inexperienced in the construction process. Many changes happen during construction without the involvement of the design team. Maintaining the design intent of a project during construction is a huge challenge.

YL: What’s the structure for architectural licensure in China?

TX: China's licensure system does not require the accumulation of internship experience (for example, the IDP in the U.S.). Candidates are only required to pass a specific number of professional exams.

Having said that, the Chinese licensing architectural exams are very difficult, and the pass rate is very low. They are offered only twice a year. These factors result in a small number of registered architects in the country. The law in China requires that construction drawings be signed by registered architects. Therefore, a lot of design firms hire architects simply for their titles. These architects get paid without having to perform [actual design] duties. This is a problem that Chinese officials are working to resolve. While the process has started, not much information is available to the public at this time.

YL: How has your U.S. work and educational experience helped your work in China?

TX: The education and work experience in the United States have been of great help to my career in China. Foreign education widened my eyes and equipped me with a global perspective on architecture. It also reestablished the workflow of how I approach

a project.

During the design phase, I often present precedents of similar project types in the United States to my clients and share with them the latest international development experience and concepts. I will then talk about how these development experiences are relevant to their project. This process is very important to creating a mutual understanding among our team and our clients, especially those who are not familiar with construction.

Second, my foreign education and work experience has helped shape my design methodology. I tossed out much of my past design thinking, including my previous approach to architecture that only considered the functional aspect of a building. My current design process embraces the social and urban environmental aspects of design. This perspective gives my work a much broader meaning.

As mentioned, Chinese clients generally like to work with designers with an international background due to their design ability and professionalism. As a result, having a background in the U.S. translates to being able to be more competitive in the market.

YL: Is there anything else you would like to add?

TX: China is a vast market and is still rapidly developing. There is a huge demand for foreign talent from a variety of backgrounds. I hope to see more American architects enter the Chinese market.

The competition will create a healthy and sustainable development of the local architecture profession. It will also promote the culture of diversity in the country — it’s a win-win situation. ■

MEMBRANE ARCHITECTURE - Courtesy Tingwei Xu and Xie Zhang Q2 - 2017

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Yu-Ngok Lo (YL): 能否告诉我们你的学术和专业背景吗？ Tingwei Xu (TX): 我是2011年8月份来到美国。之前我刚刚在国内东南 沿海的一所大学取得了建筑学学士学位。来到美国后我再宾夕法尼亚大学 取得了建筑学硕士学位。毕业后我搬到了加州。先是在Tom Wiscombe Studio作为一名实习生实习。几个月之后因为在美国工作签证的原因， 我离开了那家公司，来到了一家总部位于拉斯维加斯的设计公司 Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects干了将近两年。之后我又回到了洛杉矶，开始 在RTKL工作只到2016年8月份，我回到了中国。所以总的来看，我在美国 学习和工作了5年的时光。

YL: 在不同的美国公司（TSK和RTKL）雇用期间，你在国际项目上获得什 么的经验？ TX: 首先一个非常大的不同是在美国工作，团队成员的背景非常国际化。 大家来自不同的国家，有美国的，中国的，韩国的，波兰的等等。大家为 了呈现一个高水平的设计项目这一共同的目标汇集在一起，我觉得这点非 常棒。你会开始知道不同国家背景，教育背景的人是如何考虑设计的。这 点非常可贵。在中国，基本上大部分学校的建筑教育体系都是非常类似的 训练。因此工作以后，大部分设计师还是习惯于从一套相同的设计逻辑出 发来进行设计。这可能也是现在中国所谓的千城一面，城市缺少个性与特 征的一个因素所在。因为大家都在按照一个方式做事。从这个角度来说， 这样的国际化平台对思维的碰撞，创意的激发很有好处。 而同时，国际化的设计公司比如RTKL在商业建筑这个领域在中国有着近20 年的实践经验，为许多城市留下了许多独特而有人气的商业场所。比如在 中国地产界产生重大影响的深圳万象城（Shenzhen Mixed-C，2004年） 等项目。从这个角度来说，美国的国家化设计公司对中国的城市发展和城 市景观（urban scape）升级有着重大的贡献。在这样的公司工作对我的 04 70

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专业技能提升有很好的帮助，同时在这里的工作经历也影响了我对建筑，对 城市的许多看法。

YL: 告诉我们您自己的公司，Yonder Design Studio。什么促使你回到中 国，创办自己的公司？您如何与中国许多大型建筑公司进行竞争？

TX: 我的公司Yonder Design Studio，办公室设在上海，2017年才刚刚开 业，目前是个只有5名设计师的微型工作室。目前我们在中国中部最大的城 市武汉有一个小型商业中心项目，在中国东南部部的古城泉州有一个精品酒 店项目，同时在刚刚开完G20会议的杭州有一个商场的室内改造项目。 回国的动机很简单，因为中国有更多的项目机会。美国的城市发展已经过了 快速发展时期，做项目的计划很少。这正像RTKL这种大公司很大一部分业 务也需要靠美国以外的市场来支撑。在中国往往30来岁的年轻人就有机会 负责很大规模的项目。另外在国内工作，自己更熟悉自己成长的环境以及社 会的种种规则。这样再和客户或者各个设计顾问打交道时也更加得心应手。 而同时，在美国积累的工作经验对我也很有帮助，因为现在中国很多业主喜 欢具有国际背景的设计师。 关于如何与大公司竞争。要分两方面，一种是中国本土的大公司。大部分 中国的大型公司都是计划经济体制的时候遗留下来的公司。往往一个公司 有数千名员工，各个工种比如结构（structure），机电（MEP），排水 (drainage) 都配的很全。而这类公司随时国内的发展以及市场化程度越来 越成熟。很多这种大公司在创意上和设计能力上已经越来越不能满足客户的 需求。许多客户会倾向于更加信任一些小而精的设计事务所，比如专做商 业类项目或文化类项目的小建筑事务所。这种事务所往往在设计上更加有经 验，在设计上也更有创意。 而对于另外一种国际大公司，比如像RTKL这种大公司。我们的竞争策略，

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中国是一个广阔的市场，并且城市化还在快速的发展中。这个时候迫切需要全球 的智慧参与进来。 首先谈成地说，我们的设计费用更加便宜，大约只有大公司的不到一半。因 为我们在国内有更低的成本以及更更简单的公司架构来支撑。其次，很多国 际大公司往往只接一些大型项目，比如大型购物中心，大型豪华酒店以及摩 天楼等项目。这些项目之外更多的是中小尺度的项目以及改造类项目，这类 项目在中国广泛存在，因此我们可以做到在比较不同的市场中井水不犯河 水。最后，作为本土的小公司，我们的服务会更加灵活，与业主的沟通和协 调也更加紧密。很多业主的第一时间的需求我们能及时反馈，工程现场的一 些问题也能及时解决。而大公司由于跨国办公和人力成本等原因在这方面的 效率会比较低。

YL: 在中国工作有什么挑战？ TX: 首先最大的挑战在于中国的客户往往不像美国的房地产开发商那么专 业。因为我做的项目大多偏重于商业地产类项目。很多业主在找到设计 师时对他们自己的项目定位（positioning），未来招商的预期（leasing plan），以及工程条件预留等许多基础性问题上并没有形成一个很成熟的 方案。而美国项目的开发商往往在找设计顾问时对整个项目的programming， leasing plan， develop stretegy都已经有一个很成熟的概念了。 这就照成很多时候方案发展的时候客户因为疑虑和没有把握面临反复修改和 调整。另外，在中国，因为施工技术和业主管理经验的不成熟，很多好的设 计往往在实际施工的过程中面目全非。而且在中国，一个项目在建设时也没 有尊重建筑师的传统。很多情况大家认为建筑师只是一个项目发展的一个 角色，因此往往业主和施工方会为了便利或其他原因自行修改设计而不通 知建筑师。 对于以上挑战，首先，我们公司在设计业务之外还组建了商业策划部，我们 和专业领域的人合作，在与业主接触的初期，先帮助业主解决项目前期定具 体的programming的问题。一个项目应该如何定位，如何开发，未来的空 间是做一个大盒子的购物中心，还是做成一个开放的街区？我们都会先帮助 业主调查研究。等到对一个项目的vision大家取得共识之后再开展具体的设 计，这样双方朝着一个方向前进就不会出现反反复复。我们这个业务开展至 今获得了良好的反馈。目前商业策划，定位的咨询顾问业务也是我们公司收 入的一个重要的来源。

YL: 您在美国工作和教育的经历如何帮助您在中国的工作？ TX: 在美国的教育和工作背景无疑对我在中国的事业有很大的帮助。首先 国外的教育背景给了我更加开阔的视野，让我从一个全球性的角度来看待 建筑的发展，很多时候我在和业主介绍项目时会介绍美国一些同类型项目 现今的发展经验和理念，再讲这些发展经验嫁接到国内的项目设计上。其 次，在国外的教育和工作对我设计方法学的形成也有很大影响，我突破了 以往只是从建筑的形体和机械的平面功能思维去考虑一个设计的窠臼，更 多地从经济的角度，从社会的角度以及从城市发展的角度来看待一个设计 项目。这给我的设计工作提供了更广阔的思路。最后，就像我之前说，中 国的客户倾向于与具有国际化背景的设计师合作。在美国的学习和工作经 验对很多客户来说会意味着更高的专业程度和设计能力，这也是个无形的 好处。

YL: 还有什么想补充吗？ TX: 中国是一个广阔的市场，并且城市化还在快速的发展中。这个时候迫 切需要全球的智慧参与进来。因此我很希望越来越多的美国建筑师能进入 中国市场开展业务并且参加行业内的交流。首先越多的竞争才能促进一个 行业的良性发展，其次不同背景不同理念的设计师参与才能使得一个城市 更有活力，这是一个多赢的格局 ■

OPPOSITE: ACE MEGA CITY SALE CENTER- Courtesy Yonder Design Studio TOP RIGHT: QAUZNHOU YUEJIE BOUTIQUE HOTEL - Courtesy Yonder Design Studio BOTTOM RIGHT: ACE MEGA CITY CENTER PHASE 1 - Courtesy Yonder Design Studio

对于第二点，首先我们在项目的设计过程中就要努力说服业主，告诉业主专 业的人应该做专业的事情。按图施工对于一个项目的质量是至关重要的。其 次在建设过程中，我们常常需要到现场，确认项目按照图纸的构想建设，同 时需要到现场解决协调很多问题。而同时，由于我们在上文提到的在项目 前期与业主一道确定项目定位。因此这种情况下业主更倾向于倾听设计的意 见，我们在和其他顾问的协作中也树立了权威。建筑师不想在美国，天然地 在一个项目的各个顾问中是老大。在中国，你必须在项目的推进过程中慢慢 树立建筑师的权威。

YL: 中国建筑师执照资格是怎么获得的？ TX: 中国的license体系不要求你像美国一样除了考试，还要积累一定小时 数的IDP。中国的建筑师license只要求你过了特定几门专业考试后就可以颁 发给你。但是中国的建筑师考试难度很大，通过率很低，并且一年只有两次 考试机会。这造成国内的注册建筑师数量很少。而法律又规定建筑的施工图 纸必须由注册建筑师签字。因此这就照成了很多设计公司没有足够的有签字 资格的注册建筑师。因此很多设计公司会找注册建筑师把他们的建筑师资 格挂靠在他们公司。不需要实际的工作就支付这些建筑师一笔客观的资格使 用费。这在某种程度上造成了市场的混乱。目前，对于建筑师注册体制的 改革已经启动，具体的新方案还没有正式公布，因此我也没有太多的信息 可以提供。 Q2Q2 - 2017 -2017

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ARTICLE

EXPANDING THE PERCEPTION OF SPACE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARTICULATION OF SPACE

BY ESTEBAN BEITA

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raditional Japanese architecture has had centuries to develop and refine techniques for the articulation of space in relation to nature. Traditional spaces are designed to be highly adaptable to the change of time, views and function. In conjunction with Japan’s harsh summer temperatures, appreciation of nature and limited land availability, traditional architecture has evolved to create a relationship between the building and site that obscures the boundaries between the interior and exterior.

Through a precise control of boundaries, space can be trimmed and cut to highlight details of the exterior. Only through boundaries can a view be appreciated and linked to a building and its inhabitants. A view without boundaries offers too many details — the foreground, middle ground and background are all visible, creating a space without mystery. The creation of mystery through architecture becomes a technique which starts to reshape the exterior environment into a blank canvas, waiting to be painted by the landscape and then framed for an audience. These techniques and the articulation of space are present in most traditional Japanese architecture; in particular, they are seen most often in tea houses.

Tea houses are small spaces meant for relaxation, where one can leave the worries of daily life behind.

Due to the lack of space, construction tends to take place with close proximity to other buildings. However, this is not a limitation to the creation of space. Although interior and exterior spaces might be small, they are designed to be perceived much bigger. However, this only works by having a close relationship between the user, the building and nature. The user is meant to see nature from inside the building; the building creates the boundaries for the user, and nature creates the views for the user. These three elements only work in union, and, together, they break the perception of small spaces.

Over a period of six years, I had the opportunity to document over two hundred traditional building types in Japan. As part of my research, I was fascinated with the idea of kyokai, or “boundaries” in Japanese. The creation of boundaries is at the heart of traditional Japanese design principles and can be seen in the control of views, which creates a “picture frame” view of the garden. However, boundaries have a more profound use in traditional architecture.

I would describe them as having three main functions: to capture, connect and expand. By themselves, each one creates a unique experience, but rarely are all three used together. From the 200 buildings I documented, I only found one example that fully used these three techniques. This was the Bosen tea room of Koho-an temple. Located in Kyoto, the Bosen tea room was designed by Kobori Enshu and is considered a national treasure. Because of this, it’s extremely difficult to access. In my case, it took me three years before I was given permission to enter. However, still, I was not allowed to use photography — instead, I could only sketch. For my research, one visit was not enough; I wanted to see how the tea room adapted to changes throughout the year and from sunrise to sunset. Because of this, I created a detailed 3D model of the Bosen tea room and its garden, which I could then use to test and create photorealistic renderings.

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THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

In 1643, Kobori Enshu, a Japanese tea master, designed his personal residence, which eventually became Koho-an Temple after his death in 1647. During his life, he had the opportunity to work on numerous construction projects, ranging in government buildings, castles, gardens and tea houses, but among these, his passion was the tea ceremony, resulting in the creation of the Bosen tea room. While growing up, Kobori Enshu lived near Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan. So, upon retiring far from his place of birth, he decided to bring the memory of his childhood to his new residence, creating a tea room with the feeling of being near water. Although most tea rooms use paper screens in their designs, the Bosen tea room is the only one that has a paper screen that appears to hang from the ceiling.

While the hanging screen is able to control the view to the garden, the position of a person in the space also becomes important in maximizing its effect. For this reason, Enshu gave himself the best seat in the space, positioned at the back corner of the

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the creation of boundaries and harmony with nature is an idea deeply rooted in its culture as a design tool for expanding the boundaries of spaces. two parts. One part consists of four large panels positioned at eye level, controlling the view to the garden, and is able to freely move from left to right. The next part is made up of four smaller panels positioned above the main section; again, these panels are able to move freely, but their main job is to control ventilation. As a whole, this wall system is able to give the tea room increased adaptability in controlling views, ventilation and illuminations while, at the same time, providing multiple configurations for viewing the garden — all of which are very important. However, the key function of the “hanging screen” is to create the illusion of a distant place and form a personal connection to the user since without the user, the space would not have such a profound meaning. The user needs to see all the hints provided by the space and use his or her imagination to complete the picture.

room. However, while the hanging screen provided the means for controlling scenery, other elements are needed to create the essence of being near water. First, from the tea master’s seating position, a view of a small wooden railing is visible near the screen, representing the wooden railing of a boat. Second, the design of the garden is meant to represent different views of Lake Biwa, using the garden as a representation of mountains, islands and water.

Finally, and the most important reminder of being near water, is the creation of water ripples, which are created through a water basin positioned in front of the tea room. This effect of water ripples can be clearly seen in the summer months, when the sun is perpendicular to the tea room. As the sun hits the water basin, water ripples are reflected into the ceiling of the tea room, becoming visible to the tea master as he views the garden. This perception of being near water is further enhanced through the placement of small polished stones outside the tea house, which glimmer in the sun.

Through the precise control of the exterior environment, Kobori Enshu was able to recreate the feeling of growing up near water. As a whole, the basic design of this screen is very simple, consisting of only two parts: a translucent and open area. The screen is built as a wall system positioned in front of the veranda, becoming the exterior wall of the tea room; however, it retains lightness, due to the paper, and so appears like a curtain hanging from the ceiling. The top area of the screen is made of eight paper panels, which are divided into

OPPOSITE TOP: Night view of the exterior of the Bosen tea room showing the water basin and glimmering rocks - Courtesy Esteban Beita OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Entrance to Koho-an temple in Kyoto - Courtesy Esteban Beita ABOVE: Personal design of a contemporary tea room in Tokyo inspired by the Bosen tea room - Courtesy Esteban Beita

Japanese traditional architecture gives immense attention to the design of every opening, creation of boundaries and garden. In order to enhance the experience of every person and interaction with the landscape, the placement of each wall and garden element, height of the floor and movement of light are all taken into consideration to create the perfect view and atmosphere. The scene is perfectly screened of unwanted views, creating a living painting. In all aspects of Japanese life, the creation of boundaries and harmony with nature is an idea deeply rooted in its culture as a design tool for expanding the boundaries of spaces. The unique way in which Japanese architecture and landscape work together serves as an example for the creation of adaptable spaces. Having no views and a lack of space is by no means a problem; instead, it creates an opportunity to invent a new landscape. Also, the imagination is a powerful tool, and, through the creation of unfinished spaces, each person can complete a view and make it their own.

These design techniques have a great deal of use in urban spaces, where small spaces, limited access to nature and unwanted views fill the environment. Having a tiny garden as your view is not a problem as long as the view is controlled. Whether nature is on the inside or outside, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how the view is shown. If the entire view is shown, there is nothing left to the imagination, but if boundaries trim certain parts of the scene, the inhabitants can use their imagination to reshape nature and extend its boundaries. ■

Esteban Beita, Ph.D.

is the founder of Wabi Design, a firm specializing in the implementation of traditional Japanese design principles in contemporary architecture.

He is also a full time assistant professor at the New York City College of Technology in the department of architecture technology. Beita is the recipient of the Monbukagakusho scholarship, a prestigious scholarship offered by the Japanese government.

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ARTICLE

CHAIR'S CORNER

WORKING ABROAD AND THE LICENSING PROCESS RESOURCES, TIPS AND ADVICE

BY GABRIELA BAIERLE-ATWOOD

Gabriela Baierle-Atwood, AIA NCARB

is an architect with Arrowstreet in Boston, MA. Originally from Brazil, she was an international student at NDSU where she earned her Bachelor of Environmental Design and Master of Architecture. Her passion for professional practice is exemplified by her role as Architect Licensing Advisor for NCARB and AIA Massachusetts, and her involvement with a handful of exciting committees at the Boston Society of Architects. In her free time, she is either at the BSA, the boxing gym, on the couch reading, sketching, or just walking in the city – likely with a cup of coffee in hand.

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he process to become an architect licensed in the United States is made up of three different components: Education, Experience and Examination. While the licensing requirements are ultimately dependent on the approval of each jurisdiction, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards has developed the Architectural Experience Program™ (AXP™) to serve as a framework to the experience portion of this process. Given the globalized nature of the world we live in, many candidates have the urge to pursue employment opportunities outside of the United States; while still aiming to become licensed in an American jurisdiction. The same goes for foreign students looking to enhance their experience in the U.S. -- internships can be a great way to solidify a field of study, and even bring unique career experiences. Thankfully, there are ways in which both of these employment circumstances can be pursued while still meeting the requirements outlined by the AXP. When it comes to working internationally, many candidates have questions that may not have generic answers. The information below addresses two general situations: a license candidate considering working in a country other than the United States; and a foreign license candidate considering working in the United States. In both cases, it is fundamental that each candidate review the requirements of their jurisdiction; and the AXP Guidelines.

Contact your school or state’s Architect Licensing Advisor for more information.

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Candidates who want to work abroad: Can you gain experience while working outside of the United States?

There are a few ways in which you could earn experience while working abroad, so long as the position is a paid one. In order to gain hours in Setting A (Practice of Architecture), you must be employed by a firm engaged in the lawful practice of architecture, and supervised by an architect licensed in the United States or Canada. There are no limits to the amount of hours one can earn in this setting. Setting O (Other Experience Opportunities) allows you to earn up to 1,860 hours when working under direct supervision by an architect not registered in the United States or Canada who is engaged in the practice of architecture outside of the United States or Canada.

Within Setting O, the candidate may also earn experience in an approved community-based design center/-collaborative environment, as defined in experience setting O under the AXP Guidelines. This option allows a candidate to gain up to 320 hours for service for an NCARB pre-approved charitable organization outside of a recognized experience setting or academic requirement.

THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

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Internships can be a great way to solidify a field of study, and even bring unique career experiences.

International Students who want to work while in the United States: How does the process work?

It can be daunting to pursue employment in the United States if the candidate is in the country as a foreign student. If you are considering pursuing an internship while abroad, the first thing to do is contact your school’s International Programs department, as they have resources to better guide you through the process of obtaining a position and making it work with visa requirements.

The following options are available if you are a foreign student in good standing as a nonimmigrant F-1 visa holder in the United States: • Curricular Practical Training (CPT): This is an option to be pursued if the student is an F-1 visa holder, and the school has an internship or cooperative program integrated into its curriculum that is offered by sponsoring employers in agreement with the school.

• Optional Practical Training (OPT): This is an option to be pursued if the student has completed one year of full-time enrollment in an American university and the training is related to the student’s field of study. There are two options for OPT: precompletion, which can be completed while the candidate is still in school, and post-completion, which can be completed after the candidate has graduated. To participate in OPT, a candidate must receive an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

To participate in either the CPT or OPT programs, a designated school official must complete the I-20 endorsement page, which is why it is important to reach out to your school’s International Programs department. Also note that each of these settings has particular requirements when it comes to work authorizations, so it is always good practice to review USCIS's online resources.

Advice from a former International Student License Candidate When I was an international student on an F-1 visa, I was able to complete both the CPT and OPT programs successfully. Here are some tips: • First things first: get informed Whatever your situation is, understanding it thoroughly can prevent future issues and will set up for a successful employment experience abroad. Do your homework by contacting your school’s International Programs department, reading up on the AXP Guidelines, and visiting the USCIS website.

• Communicate Make sure your employer knows your situation and is willing to work with you. For example: I held a student internship while completing CPT that counted as coursework, and it became imperative that my employer knew his responsibilities in signing off evaluation forms and other paperwork. Never underestimate the power of communication.

• Be on top of your game Often-times, programs that allow a candidate to work abroad have strict timelines for applying and completing paperwork. Becoming aware of important dates and deadlines early (and staying on top of them throughout the process) are key for a smooth and successful experience.

• Take every opportunity to fully enjoy your experience abroad Learn as much as possible from the position in which you are, from your coworkers and from your employer. I know that, in my case, many of the people I worked with became mentors I can count on to this day. Another way to make the most of your experience abroad is to network, which can bring connections that last an entire career and even open future doors. And have fun! ■

Q2 - 2017

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ARTICLE

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS GO GLOBAL A CONVERSATION WITH ANDREW KING

BY VIKKI LEW

Andrew King, AIA

is senior architect at BC&D International. Having completed both IDP and ARE in Hong Kong, he is an Illinois-licensed architect and 2017 chair of Young Architects Group in AIA Hong Kong.

Andrew holds degree in political science from Northwestern University and Master of Architecture from Savannah College of Art & Design.

Vikki Lew (VL): You were one of the first U.S. architects to complete both IDP and ARE entirely while working overseas. How did you do it?

Andrew King (AK): Seeking a U.S. architect’s license while working abroad is never easy, but over the last few years, it has grown increasingly less difficult. The two main obstacles -- access to the ARE exams and access to qualified supervision for AXP experience hours -- have become significantly easier to overcome, but still require planning, perseverance, and unique sacrifices that your local colleagues might not have to make.

On the first matter -- access to the ARE exams -- architect aspirants in Hong Kong are at a happy advantage to many others working overseas. In 2014, the Prometric testing center began offering the ARE exams twice each week, and now the old days of having to fly to the States or to Guam (the geographically nearest testing center) are over. While the tests themselves might be as difficult as ever, at least it’s easier getting to them!

ABOVE: ARE LAUNCH WORKSHOP WITH NCARB CEO MICHAEL ARMSTRONG IN HONG KONG. - Courtesy of AIA Hong Kong.

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THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

The second obstacle, however, can be a bit trickier. Under the current AXP guidelines, a portion of experience hours can be signed off by a supervisor who is licensed in the jurisdiction where they practice. So, if you work in Hong Kong under an HKIA-registered architect, you are good to go for that portion of your hours. But, the remaining hours must be completed under a U.S.-licensed architect. In Hong Kong, that can be a bit of a challenge. The larger, local offices might have a few American architects on staff, as will the local offices of U.S.-headquartered firms. But if you work at a smaller local or international office, there might very likely not be an American architect at all, and your dreams of licensure might have to go on hold for a while.

A third challenge -- one that I faced, but happily -- is one that is quickly eroding: is a general lack of knowledge on exactly HOW to get licensed from overseas! When I was pursuing my license, I was largely figuring it out as I went. Most architect supervisors and mentors gained their license in the U.S., and were understandably unclear on how to do it from overseas. Happily, architect aspirants

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The challenges to gaining your architect’s license overseas are significant, but not insurmountable. are getting better about networking and sharing their experiences, and the Hong Kong chapter of the AIA is stepping up their game in helping emerging architects, from fielding questions on the licensing process, to facilitating ARE study sessions, and even to helping link candidates to potential AXP mentors.

VL: What would be your advice to other U.S.-trained architects who think it is too difficult?

AK: The challenges to gaining your architect’s license in Hong Kong are significant, but not insurmountable. I was able to complete all my IDP hours between working under an HKIA-registered architect at a large, local office, and then under an American architect in the Hong Kong satellite of a New York-based firm. After the AREs came on offer in Hong Kong, I leaned into that challenge and systematically started knocking them down, one by one. It took time (a LOT of time), but in November of 2015 I was finally able to call myself “architect,” registered in Illinois (go, Wildcats!). It was a valuable endeavor, and one whose dividends were less from the accomplishment than the journey, as all good challenges are!

VL: You have also been organizing the SCAD sketching workshop.

Can you share with us this experience?

AK: The first AIA-sponsored sketching workshop came out of an unexpected confluence of unforeseen variables. The AIA Hong Kong had committed to support the Very Hong Kong campaign to bring art and design into the public spaces of Hong Kong. At the same time, we had stumbled across another supporting member, Marissa Fung Shaw, who was coordinating “Draw Together”, a unique happening to introduce the simple joy of drawing to all.

And again at the very same time, my university professor, Dr. HsuJen Huang, was leading a travelling studio of architecture, interior design, and historic preservation students from the Savannah College of Art & Design.

So, within the overarching parameters of the Very Hong Kong campaign, we teamed up with Draw Together, SCAD-Savannah, and the St. Stephens Society Shelter to pair up our architect members and the SCAD students with local at-risk adolescents for a simple sketching workshop at the Very Hong Kong pavilion on the Central Harbourfront.

The initial workshop was a rousing success, regardless of the unseasonable torrential downpour that forced us from the harbourfront grounds to the protections of the Central Ferry Piers!

Still cold and a little bit soggy, we were very graciously invited into the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, where we finished out our sketching and held our pin-up crit.

In the intervening years, we have endeavored to make lightning strike twice, the last time coordinating again, between the AIA and Dr. Huang and his travelling studio. But this last time, through the organizing by another AIA Hong Kong member, Vicky Chan, we had the opportunity to work with local primary students from the LaSalle School in Kowloon Tong.

As the program grows and evolves, and as different entities come and go, the underlying principle has remained: to connect professional architects with students and novices to enjoy the simple act of drawing, and hopefully to inspire the new generation of “seers of space.” ■

ABOVE: SKETCHING WORKSHOP 2016 HOSTED BY AIA HONG KONG IN COLLABORATION WITH SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN and LASALLE SCHOOL - Courtesy of AIA Hong Kong

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ARTICLE

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTHCARE DESIGN

BY STEPHEN PARKER

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W

atching any of the latest sci-fi shows and movies gives us a glimpse of an exciting world where technology has eased everyday life, solved all of our health problems and, on occasion, helped us find love along the way. (OK, Cupid has to evolve, right?)

Our everyday experience with technology is rarely so seamless. It’s not to say technology hasn’t revolutionized life as we know it, but where are the flying cars and artificially intelligence (AI) (no Skynet please) that the Jetson's once promised?

Last fall, SmithGroupJJR launched its inaugural IdeaLab, using speculative futures thinking to answer questions about how our future healthcare will be delivered and designed. Specifically, it asked, “Can you design a clinic that is run entirely by artificial intelligence, with little or perhaps no human interaction?” From across the firm, nine designers and planners were brought together to address this question as three distinct teams. Each team was given a persona, or fictional user, to guide their thinking. Team Karla, composed of Sally Whitely, RIBA LEED AP; Alise Robles, Associate AIA; and Stephen Parker, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, developed a solution for redesigning retail healthcare in the year 2025. In lieu of a white paper, our team developed a graphic novel to convey our ideas and narrate the life of our fictional patient, Karla, on her journey through a healthcare network empowered by artificial intelligence. This is Karla’s story...

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Karla’s life is connected by a network of distinct A.I.s that will have to work together to give her the services she needs. From home to work to her neighborhood clinic, these A.I.s will need guidelines to organize their activities and focus their efforts on Karla’s health, so we developed Wellness Goals in Karla's new "Profile".

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THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

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Our design focused on an flat pack exam/procedure room with telemedicine and built-in diagnostic capabilities. Nowhere near the health pod of Elysium, but maybe one day.

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Stephen Parker, AIA

Our team developed our design research further over the past year and presented at the Patient-Centered Design Innovation Summit, held at Savannah, Georgia, in April 2017. We were also one of three finalists in the Summit’s Experiential Design Competition, and the SmithGroupJJR team was voted the winner for its vision of a holistic, AI-empowered healthcare environment focused on wellness. This milestone not only validates our design research, but has opend up the possibility for future collaborations from across the healthcare industry. The full graphic novel will be published later in 2017. ■

is an architect in the healthcare studio at SmithGroupJJR in Washington DC, with experience in institutional, commercial, learning and healthcare projects at all scales. He currently serves as the National Advocacy Director for the AIA’s Young Architects Forum and Cofounder of the National Design Services Act Coalition.

Sally Whiteley, RIBA

has over 20 years of experience in architecture and construction, which began in education and healthcare projects in the U.K. Since moving to the U.S. ten years ago, she has focused on healthcare projects, becoming an expert in the requirements of hospital renovations in terms of clinical requirements, operational logistics and construction sequencing.

Alise Robles, Assoc. AIA

works in the healthcare studio at SmithGroupJJR in Los Angeles. She is a recent graduate from the University of Southern California where she received a B.Arch earning distinction for Design Innovation.

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yafchat # @AIAYAF

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Today we're talking about #advocacy with special guest, @AIAYAF @StephenNParker ­ the Advocacy Director for @AIAYAF. Take @StephenNParker #YAFchat it away, Stephen! #YAFchat 2:11 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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professional practice, EPs, nextgen thinking, community, equity ­ 2:17 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 incentive to pursue areas of the profession that may be overlooked due to high loan debt #yafchat #YAFchat twitter.com/StephenNParker… overlooked due to high loan debt #yafchat

2 2:19 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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2:17 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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AIA YAF

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@AIAYAF

#NDSA hopes to create opportunities for as many #architects as possible to serve as many #communities as possible just as a Stephen Parker Follow start! #YAFChat twitter.com/BeauFrail/stat…

ArchActionNetwork

ArchActionNetwork

AIA YAF Follow @aiacsrep @StephenNParker What areas do you think would @AIAYAF AIA YAF

Follow be worth pursuing that they currently can't? #YAFchat

Follow

Follow @AIAYAF @StephenNParker Q1. The #NDSA is a student debt program that will provide @aiacsrep @StephenNParker What areas do you think would @ArchAction @ ArchAction

1 be worth pursuing that they currently can't? #YAFchat

@aiacsrep @StephenNParker What areas do you think would #NDSA hopes to create opportunities for as many #architects as A1­ #NDSA is a fantastic idea and a win­win for recent grads opportunities for #architects to provide design services to be worth pursuing that they currently can't? #YAFchat possible to serve as many #communities as possible just as a and local communities. Would love to see it in action! #yafchat

A1­ #NDSA is a fantastic idea and a win­win for recent grads start! #YAFChat twitter.com/BeauFrail/stat…

2:20 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 communities #yafchat 2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 2:21 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2:19 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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1 2:20 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 1

ArchActionNetwork and local communities. Would love to see it in action! #yafchat Wayne Broadfield Follow

2:13 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 @ArchAction

2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 A1­ #NDSA is a fantastic idea and a win­win for recent grads

@Broadfield_AIA 4

and local communities. Would love to see it in action! #yafchat 2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2:15 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2

2 Wayne Broadfield

2

Stephen Parker

Follow

Stephen Parker

Q2. How will this bill help empower the profession? #yafchat 2:22 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2

@ StephenNParker 1

@falloutstudio

CONNECTION

Follow

2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 tend to pay less. Grads may see their loan payments, do the AIA CSR EP

Follow

Follow

3 math and turn away from non­profit work #yafchat @ aiacsrep 2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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Jamie Crawley

Jamie Crawley

@falloutstudio

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THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

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a2 success in advocacy realm also involves proactive legislation support and not just defensive support for topics. this is nextgen #YAFchat 2:23 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Follow

2

@falloutstudio

Follow

2:23 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

AIA CSR EP @aiacsrep

2

a2 success in advocacy realm also involves proactive legislation support and not just defensive support for topics. this is nextgen #YAFchat

1

AIA CSR EP Follow @AIAYAF @StephenNParker Non­profit organizations, which @aiacsrep tend to pay less. Grads may see their loan payments, do the math and turn away from non­profit work #yafchat @AIAYAF @StephenNParker Non­profit organizations, which

2:15 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2:22 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Jamie Crawley 2

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@AIAYAF @StephenNParker Non­profit organizations, which @StephenNParker A1­ Too late for me personally­ but I would of

3 Q2. How will this bill help empower the profession? #yafchat tend to pay less. Grads may see their loan payments, do the jumped at the oppertunity plus to become more engaged early 2:22 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 math and turn away from non­profit work #yafchat on is a huge ++ #YAFCHAT

2 1

@StephenNParker

Follow Stephen Parker @StephenNParker

@Broadfield_AIA

Q2. How will this bill help empower the profession? #yafchat

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Follow

@StephenNParker A1­ Too late for me personally­ but I would of jumped at the oppertunity plus to become more engaged early on is a huge ++ #YAFCHAT

Q2

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Wayne Broadfield

Follow

@Broadfield_AIA

@StephenNParker A2 In only 140 characters... come on @StephenNParker you're killing me #YAFCHAT

4,210 Twitter Followers

Moderated by the 2016-2017 AIA YAF Public Relations Director Lora Teagarden 2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2 and hosted by the AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF). The yafchat for the month of April focused on #Advocacy ORLI+

AIA YAF Monthly Tweet-up 19 April, 2-3:00pm Eastern Time

Follow

@ORLIPLUS

Wayne Broadfield #A2 this bill empowers young professionals because they can Follow @Broadfield_AIA begin to figure out how they want to give back to their #community #yafchat @StephenNParker A2 In only 140 characters... come on

Wayne Broadfield @Broadfield_AIA

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2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 @StephenNParker you're killing me #YAFCHAT

@StephenNParker A2 This would elevate the #AIA +members as an industry that is critical for designing around global problems US will lead in design #yafchat

2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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2:27 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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Theme: #Advocacy Hashtag: #YAFChat Stephen Parker

@StephenNParker

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A2 Amen! It could also encourage non­profits who don't do #communitydesign to expand their outreach through #design #yafchat twitter.com/IanMerker/stat…

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2:43 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Stephen Parker

2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 #community #yafchat

A2 it will provide the experience for young prof and great start for networking for future prectice #yafchat

3

Follow Follow

A2. It will place the most passionate and cause­driven architects A2 It would give us time/ability to get into the community and in front of the 98% of society that would never meet an architect interact with other caring citizens who could be future clients. #yafchat #YAFchat 2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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as an industry that is critical for designing around global A2 It would give us time/ability to get into the community and problems US will lead in design #yafchat interact with other caring citizens who could be future clients.

2:27 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 #YAFchat

2:31 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

A2­ it gives EPs the power to do what they love w/o lugging the

1 2 boat anchor that is student loan stress #yafchat 2:30 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

1

2

@NYSYAF

2 Stephen Parker

@StephenNParker

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Student Financial Survey 2017 General demographics

A2 it will provide the experience for young prof and great start for networking for future prectice #yafchat

docs.google.com

2:28 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Stephen Parker

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@StephenNParker

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A3: It would enable me to work with community groups such as @dcbia on this urban farm in Ward 7 #DC #yafchat AIA CSR EP

Q3

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@aiacsrep

Wayne Broadfield @IanMerker

Follow

@Broadfield_AIA

Beau Frail

@BeauFrail

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Follow Follow Follow

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A2: when you empower community advocates & change agents Stephen Parker Follow via the #NDSA, you shift our profession to serve broadly & @StephenNParker meaningfully #YAFchat Exactly! Also, it would allow smaller/rural communities to attract 2:39 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Austin, TX and retain talent #yafchat twitter.com/benward42/stat…

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Ben Ward

A2 Community Design Centers can fill the gap of charitable work not present in academia, build good career habits #YAFchat @StephenNParker A3­ This would encourage more involvement

@StephenNParker

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@benward42

Ian Merker

Stephen Parker

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2:50 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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A2 Gives young designers the ability to impact their local community, putting skills learned in school to good use #yafchat 2:28 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Follow Follow

Exactly! Also, it would allow smaller/rural communities to attract A2 Amen! It could also encourage non­profits who don't do and retain talent #yafchat twitter.com/benward42/stat… @StephenNParker it will allow great access to the profession #communitydesign to expand their outreach through #design 2:54 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 from non­traditional paths and bring in that diversity of views. #yafchat twitter.com/IanMerker/stat…

1 #yafchat 2:43 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2:41 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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Stephen Parker

Stephen Parker Ben Ward @ StephenNParker @StephenNParker

@benward42

2:32 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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@StephenNParker it will allow great access to the profession A2: when you empower community advocates & change agents from non­traditional paths and bring in that diversity of views. via the #NDSA, you shift our profession to serve broadly & #yafchat

Great answers so far! Take this #studentdebt survey from @NDSAworks and get your voice heard! #YAFchat docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

AIANYS YAF

1

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+ exposes public to design thinking, solving problems through iteration, & coordination of multiple (sometimes competing) ArchActionNetwork

Follow interests #yafchat @ArchAction

2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

1 4

2 2:39 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Austin, TX

@aiacsrep

@Broadfield_AIA RATIO Follow @RATIOglobal @StephenNParker A2 This would elevate the #AIA +members

Ben Ward

Beau Frail

@benward42 @BeauFrail

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2:39 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Austin, TX

2:50 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 meaningfully #YAFchat

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AIA CSR EP

Wayne Broadfield

Follow Follow

A2 Amen! It could also encourage non­profits who don't do @BeauFrail #communitydesign to expand their outreach through #design A2: when you empower community advocates & change agents #yafchat twitter.com/IanMerker/stat… via the #NDSA, you shift our profession to serve broadly &

Follow

@aiacsrep

Beau Frail

A2 Gives young designers the ability to impact their local community, putting skills learned in school to good use #yafchat

1

@StephenNParker

2:43 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 meaningfully #YAFchat

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AIA CSR EP

Stephen Parker

RATIO StephenNParker @ @RATIOglobal

Stephen Parker

Follow

@NYSYAF

2:28 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2:24 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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AIANYS YAF

Follow

A2. It will place the most passionate and cause­driven architects in front of the 98% of society that would never meet an architect #A2 this bill empowers young professionals because they can #yafchat begin to figure out how they want to give back to their

Follow

@StephenNParker ORLI+ @ORLIPLUS

Follow

@StephenNParker it will allow great access to the profession from non­traditional paths and bring in that diversity of views. #yafchat 2:50 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2

2:39 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 of #AIAS chapters with local architects/ CDC's and grow our

3 profession's young designers #yafchat

Q3. What issues/projects would #NDSA enable you to 2:42 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 address/do in your #community? Pics welcome! #yafchat

5 ArchActionNetwork

2:39 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 @ArchAction

Stephen Parker

Follow

@StephenNParker

A2­ it gives EPs the power to do what they love w/o lugging the 2 1 boat anchor that is student loan stress #yafchat

2:54 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2:30 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

1

Follow

Exactly! Also, it would allow smaller/rural communities to attract and retain talent #yafchat twitter.com/benward42/stat…

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Ian Merker @IanMerker

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Follow

A3 There is substandard housing and studio space for artists. In Northern California, we have had tragic deaths as a result #YAFchat 2:42 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Stephen Parker

@StephenNParker

Follow

3

A3: It would enable me to work with community groups such as @dcbia on this urban farm in Ward 7 #DC #yafchat 2:41 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

4

Wayne Broadfield @Broadfield_AIA

Beau Frail

@StephenNParker A3­ This would encourage more involvement of #AIAS chapters with local architects/ CDC's and grow our profession's young designers #yafchat 2:42 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

5

@BeauFrail

Follow

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A3: we could design more microhomes for the homeless built around communities like @mobileloaves Community First!

Village #YAFchat 2:47 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Austin, TX

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yafchat # @AIAYAF ORLI+

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@ORLIPLUS

#A3 ­ #NDSA would enable #student #volunteers w/ #ORLI+ to present #educational #workshops to #residents of #coastal #communities #yafchat 2:47 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Manhattan, NY

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AIA CSR EP

Follow

@aiacsrep

@StephenNParker Urban interventions working w/ communities ala @BetterBlockKC @BetterBlockOKC @BB_Lawrence could become permanents changes w/ #NDSA #yafchat

David Flecha

2:50 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

@dflecha87

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A3: #NDSA would help programs like @ORLIPLUS & educate on benefits of resiliency. More involvement in programs like @QueensWayNYC #YAFchat 2:57 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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ORLI+

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@ORLIPLUS

#A3 ­ #NDSA would enable #student #volunteers w/ #ORLI+ to present #educational #workshops to #residents of #coastal #communities #yafchat 2:47 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Manhattan, NY

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David Flecha

A3: #NDSA would help programs like @ORLIPLUS & educate on benefits of resiliency. More involvement in programs like @QueensWayNYC #YAFchat 2:57 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Q4

AIA CSR EP

3

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@aiacsrep

AIA YAF Follow @StephenNParker Urban interventions working w/ communities @AIAYAF ala @BetterBlockKC @BetterBlockOKC @BB_Lawrence could @IanMerker #YAFchat

become permanents changes w/ #NDSA #yafchat

Stephen Parker

Follow

2:57 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 2:50 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Follow

@dflecha87

@StephenNParker

Stephen Parker

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@StephenNParker

@StephenNParker

2:49 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

I’ll bring the hammer! #yafchat twitter.com/ianmerker/stat…

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AIA CSR EP @aiacsrep

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RATIO @RATIOglobal

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2:54 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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A4 Advocating 4 good design on public projects, taking part in education programs/events, collaborating w/ non­design industry orgs #yafchat

@StephenNParker

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A4. Volunteer! Serve on architectural review boards. Petition zoning boards. Run for the school board. Start small but start! #yafchat

2:52 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Manhattan, NY

3

Wayne Broadfield

Follow

@Broadfield_AIA

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@StephenNParker A4­ Citizen Architects/ Local Com. Boards, Local #AIA components should be the 1st step #yafchat

3:04 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2:53 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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Beau Frail

@BeauFrail

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Ian Merker

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@IanMerker

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A4: advocate WITH communities­­ask and listen to what they want­­don't make assumptions from the top #YAFchat #AIAadvocacy

A4 Step out of the architect box, be it AIA or your office. Partner w/local orgs that make buildings happen. Nail something #YAFchat

3:06 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Austin, TX

2:54 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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Stephen Parker

@StephenNParker

Q5. How do you advocate nationally? #yafchat

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A4. We need to first teach #architects that are unaware of the #power and #potential of being a local #advocate . #yafchat

2:55 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Follow

2:55 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

@dflecha87

Stephen Parker

@ORLIPLUS

#A4 Be involved and up to speed with the #local #nonprofit #groups working on #issues in your #community #YAFchat

3

ORLI+

Follow

A4. Volunteer in your community. Get involved in an organization or non­profit. Meet with councilmen/women. Just do it! #YAFchat

David Flecha

82

Follow

Q4. How else can you #advocate locally as # Harchitects?

Q4. ow else can you #advocate locally as # architects? #yafchat #yafchat Stephen Parker 2:49 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 Follow

2:55 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

Follow

6

Beau Frail

Follow

@BeauFrail

A4: advocate WITH communities­­ask and listen to what they Lora Teagarden want­­don't make assumptions from the top #YAFchat @L2DesignLLC #AIAadvocacy

4,210 Twitter Followers AIA YAF Monthly Tweet-up 19 April, 2-3:00pm Eastern Time

Architect. Adventurer. Biz Owner. ARESketches™ 3:06 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Austin, TX

author (#AREsketches). 2017 @AIAnational #youngarchitect award winner. @AIAYAF PR Director. @RATIOglobal team.

5

#Indianapolis

Stephen Parker

@StephenNParker

Q5

Theme: #Advocacy Hashtag: #YAFChat

A5. Congress is a phone call, letter or email away. It’s easier than you think to get heard. We just need to work together #yafchat Stephen Parker

2:56 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Follow

@StephenNParker

Stephen Parker

2

2

A5. Congress is a phone call, letter or email away. It’s easier than you think to get heard. We just need to work together @StephenNParker #yafchat

Q5. How do you advocate nationally? #yafchat 2 2

@NYSYAF

2:55 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

AIANYS YAF

Follow

@NYSYAF

3

1

Follow

Wayne Broadfield @Broadfield_AIA

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A5. Sign up for #AIA Legislative Action Network! @AIANational @AIA_Advocacy info.aia.org/advocacynetwor… #yafchat 2:59 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

3:05 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2 EmilyGrandstaff­Rice

@egrfaia

Follow

1

@StephenNParker A5. Advocacy is using your voice to speak about what you value. #HealthyCities #EquityinArchitecture #SocialJustice #GoodDesign #yafchat 3:00 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

1

6

AIA CSR EP @aiacsrep

Stephen Parker

Follow

@StephenNParker A5­ Volunteer w/ local congressional offices.

Remember even if your Cngrsmn is from 'your' party they still need help w/#AIA issues #yafchat

3

Follow

A5 Twitter! Seeing discussions like these help raise awareness.

Sharing resources online makes a local issue become a national one #yafchat

Follow

@StephenNParker

@aiacsrep

#A5 (part 2) Or just walk on down to #capitolhill and knock on some doors!! #YAFchat Stephen Parker Follow

A5. Sign up for #AIA Legislative Action Network! @AIANational #A5 Utilize #technology to stay up to date with #national @AIA_Advocacy info.aia.org/advocacynetwor… #yafchat #legislation! i.e. @countable which is an #app that allows you to 2:59 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 do so! #YAFchat

2 2:58 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Manhattan, NY

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3:04 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

@ORLIPLUS

Follow Follow

1

AIA CSR EP

Follow

2:59 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Manhattan, NY @StephenNParker

2

Stephen Parker

ORLI+

4

Follow

2:58 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Manhattan, NY

ORLI+ @ StephenNParker @ORLIPLUS

EmilyGrandstaff­Rice

A5 Twitter! Seeing discussions like these help raise awareness.

Sharing resources online makes a local issue become a national one #yafchat

@NYSYAF

2

@egrfaia

Follow

4

@ORLIPLUS

2:58 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

#A5 Utilize #technology to stay up to date with #national #legislation! i.e. @countable which is an #app that allows you to do so! #YAFchat

#A5 Utilize #technology to stay up to date with #national #legislation! i.e. @countable which is an #app that allows you to do so! #YAFchat AIANYS YAF 2:58 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Manhattan, NY Follow

3:00 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

ORLI+

3 A5: Attend Lobby Day in your Region, go to Washington ,call, email #yafchat

2:59 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 · Manhattan, NY

2:58 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

@StephenNParker

Follow

#A5 (part 2) Or just walk on down to #capitolhill and knock on some doors!! #YAFchat

@StephenNParker A5. Advocacy is using your voice to speak about what you value. #HealthyCities #EquityinArchitecture #SocialJustice #GoodDesign #yafchat

A5: Attend Lobby Day in your Region, go to Washington ,call, email #yafchat Stephen Parker 2:58 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 Follow

2:56 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017 ORLI+ @ORLIPLUS

2 2

Follow

A5: Attend Lobby Day in your Region, go to Washington ,call, email #yafchat

4 A5. Congress is a phone call, letter or email away. It’s easier than you think to get heard. We just need to work together #yafchat

@ORLIPLUS

Follow

AIANYS YAF

2:56 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

ORLI+

Follow

3:04 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

A5. Sign up for #AIA Legislative Action Network! @AIANational

@AIA_Advocacy info.aia.org/advocacynetwor… #yafchat

AIA YAF

1

@AIAYAF

Follow

2:59 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

2

That's a wrap on April! Thanks to all who joined in on our conversation on #advocacy and to @StephenNParker for guest Wayne Broadfield @Broadfield_AIA hosting #YAFchat

@StephenNParker A5­ Volunteer w/ local congressional offices.

Remember even if your Cngrsmn is from 'your' party they still need help w/#AIA issues #yafchat

3:02 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

1

Follow

7

3:05 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

Stephen Parker

1

Follow

@StephenNParker

Thanks everyone for a great #yafchat! Keep the conversation alive and #advocate! Thanks @L2DesignLLC for facilitating!

3:13 PM ­ 19 Apr 2017

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LEADERSHIP PROFILE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT AN INTERVIEW WITH COREY CLAYBORNE

BY BETH R. MOSENTHAL

Corey Clayborne, AIA

is a project manager and senior architect with Wiley | Wilson. He is particularly known for his mentorship of the next generation of architects, focusing on their entry into the AIA, licensure and professional and personal group. He has been active in AIA Richmond and AIA Virginia, serving on both boards of directors. He has won numerous awards including the 2017 AIA Young Architects Award and the 2016 AIA Virginia Award for Distinguished Achievement. His service to the community includes the Charlottesville Planning Commission, Virginia Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects and the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia Mentoring program.

Beth R. Mosenthal (BM): You recently became the Executive Vice President of AIA Virginia. What elicited this career change? What responsibility does your new position entail?

I have always been an advocate for serving the architecture profession. I started early in my career as a volunteer serving on a local American Institute of Architect’s chapter’s Board of Directors. Over the years, more opportunities were presented at the state and national levels of the AIA. I broadened this experience by volunteering on NCARB committees and eventually received a gubernatorial appointment to Virginia’s licensing board. I became hooked! When the highly competitive Executive Vice President/CEO position became available, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The position’s portfolio of responsibilities includes a variety of challenging and diverse tasks such as strategic planning, organizational governance, financial administration, talent management, government advocacy, communications, membership, program supervision, partnership management, and operations. Ultimately, it is imperative for not only AIA Virginia to be successful at delivering exemplary services, but also to support our five local AIA chapters.

BM: You were appointed to serve a four-year term on Virginia's Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects in 2015. How does your current role at AIA Virginia influence or overlap with your government advocacy efforts?

CC: Due to a conflict of interest, it was necessary for me to resign from the gubernatorial appointed position. AIA Virginia works as a partner with the licensing board, especially in regards to recognizing new licensees. From the regulatory side, AIA Virginia is interested in current regulations and proposed changes. Understanding these requirements is paramount to the success of any architect. At the end of the day, the state licensing board and AIA Virginia have a common goal of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

BM: Could you tell us a bit about the Young Architects Program offerings of your chapter?

CC: Our YAF programming is handled at the local AIA chapter level. It is AIA Virginia’s goal to be complimentary to the local chapters. I am very proud of the Young Architect’s Forum’s

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CONNECTION

programming that is currently implemented throughout Virginia. In all Virginia AIA chapters, one might find robust YAF activity ranging from ARE preparation sessions to unique events such as “Bowling with Bosses” ( an event that pairs emerging professionals with architectural leaders and principals.) It’s exciting to see how the AIA in Virginia has brought leadership from emerging professionals to the forefront, placing young leaders as change agents for the profession.

BM: How did you become involved with other organizations such as Computer4Kids, 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, and the First Baptist Church?

CC: Easy. It is our responsibility as leaders to invest into the future generation. If I had $1 for every time someone said that they wanted to be an architect, I would retire next year.

We are the most envied profession. Use your platform to positively make a change!

You can make a change in a number of ways. Some architects can invest time or money into organizations. Architects can be great [in utilizing other skill sets] beyond the design of buildings. Try designing a path of hope for someone and see how rewarding it can be.

BM: What advice would you give to young architects looking to become more involved in the AIA and the community outside of the workplace?

CC: This depends on the amount of time you are willing to invest. Try serving on an AIA committee at the local level. This will give you an opportunity to build relationships with local AIA leaders and help you determine whether or not a Board position would be a right fit. In my experience, all levels of the AIA embrace those who are looking to help. Another avenue is to take on a Citizen Architect role in your community. Most communities have a number of boards with vacancies that deal with the built environment such as Boards of Architectural Review, Planning Commissions, Housing, etc. We need to be at the table on these boards so that the community can see the value of architects. Who else understands the impact of design on the built environment better than architects? ■

THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE CALL YAF RESOURCE GUIDE We are looking for team members to join the editorial committee.

While we welcome skill sets of all stripes, our current need is a copy editor. The position description is as follows: Copy Editor: Check over writers' / contributors' final drafts to ensure they're free of errors and make sure the writing is easy to read and fits the publication's editorial style. Must be able to work in a remote setting with the ability to balance publication deadlines with employment. Ability to attend a quarterly kick-off conference call with the potential for intermediate update calls.

Proficiency in Microsoft Word required. Please provide a sample page or link of prior work.

This position has immediate availability with a commitment of one year and all issues of YAF CONNECTION in 2017. Position will be reevaluated at year's end based on need and performance.

AIA’s Young Architects Forum YAF's official website YAF KnowledgeNet A knowledge resource for awards, announcements, podcasts, blogs, YAF Connection, and other valuable YAF legacy content ... this resource has it all!

AIA College of Fellows Check out the College of Fellows's reciprocal newsletter to find out more about what's going on.

If interested, please contact the YAF Communications Director (YAF CONNECTION Editor-in-Chief/Creative Director), Yu-Ngok Lo, AIA at yungoklo@hotmail.com for more information

Know Someone Who’s Not Getting YAF Connection?

Don’t let them be out of the loop any longer. It’s easy for AIA members to sign up. Update your AIA member profile and add the Young Architects Forum under “Your Knowledge Communities.”

• Sign in to your AIA account • Click on the blue “Add a Knowledge Community” button • Select Young Architects Forum from the drop down and SAVE! Call for News, Reviews, Events Do you have newsworthy content that you’d like to share with our readers? Contact the editor, Yu-Ngok Lo, on Twitter @yungoklo.

Call for CONNECTION Articles, Projects, Photography Would you like to submit content for inclusion in an upcoming issue? Contact the editor, Yu-Ngok Lo, at yungoklo@hotmail.com

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CONNECTION THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

2017 EDITORIAL

APRIL

SHELTERING

CALENDAR

JUNE

JET SET

This issue focuses on housing affordability issues across the country. We will also look at how different communities all over the world address the homelessness problem and the global housing crisis.

This issue focuses on the global issues that affects the architecture profession here in the US, such as climate change and the global economy. We will also look at how firms across the country and overseas tackle these issues.

CONTENT DUE 2/01 PUBLICATION 1Q 2017

CONTENT DUE 5/01 PUBLICATION 2Q 2017

SEPTEMBER

DECEMBER

This issues focuses on the humanitarian work done by architects and look at their firm structure and business model. We will also report on topics such as building resiliency and disaster readiness.

This issue focuses on the theme of Certification and specialty credentialing. We will discuss the Pros and Cons of this heavily debated topics from different perspectives.

We will also take a look at the professional development within architecture and the continued education.

CONTENT DUE 8/01 PUBLICATION 3Q 2017

CONTENT DUE 11/01 PUBLICATION 4Q 2017

DESIGN WITH CONSCIENCE

ACRONYM SOUP

CALL FOR QUARTERLY SUBMISSIONS WE ARE CURRENTLY SOLICITING CONTENT CONNECTION welcomes the submission of ARTICLES, PROJECTS, PHOTOGRAPHY and other design content. Submitted materials are subject to editorial review and selected for publication in eMagazine format based on relevance to the theme of a particular issue.

CONNECTION content will also appear on AIA.org and submissions will be considered on a rolling basis.

If you are interested in contributing to CONNECTION, please contact the EditorIn-Chief at yungoklo@hotmail.com

CLICK HERE for past issues of

CONNECTION

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS All submissions are required to have the attachments noted below.

Text Submit the body of your text in a single, separate Word document with a total word count between 500-1000 words.

Format the file name as such: [yourlastname_article title.doc] Images Submit all images in JPEG format at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi RGB mode. Include captions to all images in the body of your e-mail transmittal.

All images must be authentic to the person submitting. Do not submit images with which you do not hold the rights.

Format the file name(s), sequentially, as such: [yourlastname_image1.jpg] Author Bio Submit a brief, two-sentence bio in the following format: [ yourlastname ] [ AIA or Associate AIA or RA ] is a [ your title ] at [ your company ] in [ city, state ]. [ yourlastname ] is also [ one sentence describing primary credentials or recent accomplishments].

Format the file name as such: [yourlastname_article title.doc] Author Photo Submit a recent headshot in JPEG format at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi grayscale in RGB mode.

Format the file name as such: [yourlastname_portrait.doc]

WHAT IS THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM? The Young Architects Forum is the voice of architects in the early stages of their career and the catalyst for change within the profession and our communities. Working closely with the AIA College of Fellows and the American Institute of Architects as a whole, the YAF is leading the future of the profession with a focus on architects licensed less than 10 years. The national YAF Advisory Committee is charged with encouraging the development of national and regional programs of interest to young architects and supporting the creation of YAF groups within local chapters. Approximately 23,000 AIA members are represented by the YAF. YAF programs, activities, and resources serve young architects by providing information and leadership; promoting excellence through fellowship with other professionals; and encouraging mentoring to enhance individual, community, and professional development.

GOALS OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM To encourage professional growth and leadership development among recently licensed architects through interaction and collaboration within the AIA and allied groups.

To build a national network and serve as a collective voice for young architects by working to ensure that issues of particular relevance to young architects are appropriately addressed by the Institute.

To make AIA membership valuable to young architects and to develop the future leadership of the profession.

AIA National Washington D.C.

GET CONNECTED PUT YOURSELF ON THE MAP THIS ISSUE FEATURES CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES FROM THESE MAPPED LOCATIONS.

A vibrant community AIA is a vibrant community of architecture and industry professionals that are transforming our profession. Members enjoy access to industry-best benefits, products and services that support practice and professional development.

Visit aia.org to learn more about how you can leverage all that we have to offer and become a member.

Join us.

YAF GET CONNECTED

1991

2017

YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM

CELEBRATING 26 YEARS OF ADVANCING THE CAREERS OF YOUNG ARCHITECTS