2014 q2 bulletin

AIA Pasadena & Foothill • A Chapter of the American Institute of Architects • 555 S.Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 • 626.796.7601 • www.aiapf.org

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Nazanin Zarkesh, AIA, LEED AP

The past few months have been busy with outstand-ing programs and activities. While at each event, I couldn’t help but ponder the future of architecture. This is something I think about often. Where is it going? How can we as architects make a difference? To follow below are some of my thoughts. Maybe you’re thinking what I’m thinking? Whatever your perspective, feel free to drop me a line or pull me aside the next time you see me so that we can speak together.

As architects we must:

Be RelevantThe profession is transforming and we as architects and problem solvers need to discover novel solu-tions in order to retain our relevance. How can we maintain a competitive presence in the field while demonstrating through our competitive positioning that our services are important to all clients present and future, big and small, public and private, alike? We are called by our professionalism and our pas-sion to design a great built environment, but it is also becoming increasingly necessary to think about the project’s financial cost presently and in the long-term. More importantly, we are expected to consider what our design brings to the client, the community and, in keeping with long-term planning, the future of the community’s development. Using all our faculties, we must approach these considerations with creative solutions; it is our responsibility to think progressively and innovate beyond the basics. In order to remain relevant, we must be able to fluidly adapt to change and design for a constantly evolving society.

and therefore more beneficial solutions. By commit-ting to a more collaborative model of work, we can develop progressive changes in our design approach, therefore creating better businesses and resulting in better designs. This kind of change is possible, but we must be willing to pursue it together.

Be LearnersOur profession, just like the society that we serve, is constantly evolving. Take for example, when I began my master’s degree program at USC in 1999, great emphasis was placed on learning seismic, lighting, and sustainable design in addition to traditional archi-tectural design. Now, these are fundamental ele-ments to be mastered and implemented by everyone. So, even as more is expected of us, we are constantly being given newer and better tools (and continuing education) with which to carry out our trade. Archi-tects never stop learning.

Be on the Cutting Edge Technology is rapidly changing the nature of our pro-fession and, doubtlessly, many others as well. Fifteen years ago, there were a limited number of people who owned a cell phone. Now, most everyone is armed with a smartphone and much of our daily business can be handled through the use of these mobile offic-es including:

• Responding to emails from clients, consultants,contractors; participating on conference calls

• Viewing and marking up drawings and sendingthem back

• Navigating between job sites using the most effi- cient route, made possible by GPS and live traffic updates

Smartphone technology enables us to conduct busi-ness more efficiently, therefore allowing us more time to focus on novel design strategies that challenging future projects may pose.

Back in the office we are using specialized and so-phisticated software programs that are “smart,” with the ability to check designs as we develop them or warn us if something does not meet a code require-

Be CollaborativeOften, collaboration – both professionally and private-ly – can lead to better, more-creative problem solving

QUARTERLY BULLETINY O U R A I A I N T H E S A N G A B R I E L V A L L E Y

2ND QUARTER, 2014

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ment. However, the true intelligence behind these “smart” programs was borne by the software engi-neers that developed them. Just as the programmers thought laterally about how they could improve their software to better serve our profession we, too, must consider in a lateral fashion how we can better serve our clients and the community through aesthetically, ecologically, and socially-conscious design.

Be Forward ThinkingThe Solar Roadway, which some of you may be famil-iar with, is one such example of a lateral approach to solving two pressing issues: the cost of maintenance on public infrastructure and the generation of cost-ef-ficient, clean energy. In this great vision for the future, there will be a roadway made of individual solar panels arranged together to collect energy, thereby creating a road that pays for itself over time, that can power roadside lights for safer night time driving, and can power inlaid heating elements to defrost the road. Through rethinking the road as a surface that can be constructed from materials other than asphalt and integrating the basic solar panel, the creators have redefined what a road can be and what services it can provide to the community other than the facilitation of transportation. We, too, can rethink our designs and create new ways that a built environment can serve its inhabitants.

In order to perform the tasks expected of us, we, as architects, need to lead and be forward thinking. We must be cognizant of changes occurring within our field, within technology, within the professional organi-zations which we are affiliated, and within our commu-nity. Every day we are tasked with creating designs and plans that will transform places. We have the power and privilege of shaping the built environment that we live in and experience now and that those future generations to follow shall inherit. This is a big responsibility. To be successful we must think big and be bold!

QUARTERLY COLUMN

The ‘Treps As DesignersContributed by:Lance Bird, FAIA

Take an intern, an entrepreneurial intern, and turn them loose with new technologies. New technologies are emerging daily. A generation of young treps are finding new applications for every great technology. I’m amused and inspired by Entrepreneur’s Editor in Chief, Amy Casper.In her June Editor’s Note, she talks “about giving fear the middle finger. Actually it is about giving everyone the middle finger because, well, sometimes that’s necessary.”

Questions and concerns spinning out of the June First Friday Forum centered on “Have architects lost their importance in society?” That question sounds like fear. Where has our courage to speak out and take chances gone? How about innovating with the pleth-ora of emerging technologies? Consider what these entrepreneurs are doing.

Nest Labs1 has re-invented the home thermostat with the “Learning Thermostat.” They’ve cobbled together cell-phone parts, open-source software and other technologies. Connected to Wi-Fi, this device be-comes the brain for a smart house and you don’t have to program it. Expanded uses include a dehumidifier, a smoke detector and the ability to adapt to direct sunlight. Buy it and you get free updates. A best seller in the home market, Google bought them for $3.2 billion last January!

Under the leadership of Aydogan Ozcan in UCLA’s engineering labs2, affordable smartphone add-ons are being developed as state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to test blood, evaluate the quality of water, etc. on a global scale. If just a portion of the world’s three billion mobile subscribers can continuously upload health and environmental data, the spread of disease and other invisible threats can be followed in real time. If scientists can develop this useful technolo-

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gy, can designers develop an app or modify devices that improve our ability to synthesize complex deter-minants in our quest to find better solutions? Better analysis, better solutions!

Our biggest challenge today, and what could be our biggest opportunity, is to make sense of environmen-tal regulations and design accordingly. AIA’s Archi-tecture 2030 aggressively addresses the amount of energy used by commercial buildings in U.S. Califor-nia’s goal is to reach net zero for new non-residential buildings by 2030. Achieving sustainability is an urgent issue for economic, social and environmental reasons. Do your MEP engineers get it? As the lead designer, are you participating with energy simulation software? Life cycle cost analyses find that over a 60-year life cycle, operating energy accounted for 95% of the buildings’ life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions3. We need simple, affordable, easy-to-use energy tools to help us evaluate our designs, and optimize our solutions. Maybe one of our trep interns will find the answer (and get rich in the process).

1. “Man of the House”, by John Patrick Pullen, page40, Entrepreneur, June 2014.2. “Inventing the Real McCoy”, by Ariel Sabar, page70, Smithsonian.com, May 2014. 3. “Use Phase Dominates Environmental Impact”, byEmily Lorenz, page 8, Ascent, Spring 2014.

Editor’s notes:

Mr. Lance Bird is a Fellow member of the AIA Pasade-na & Foothill Chapter. He has been regularly con-tributing articles to the quarterly bulletins discussing prospects, issues and challenges of architectural pro-fession. We are grateful for his unique insights that provide practicing guiding principles among all of us.

Interested in sharing your thoughts? AIA Pasadena & Foothill Chapter welcomes you to submit your articles. Please contact [email protected].

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Bill Judson, AIA, LEED AP

Bill was raised in an environment with an abiding reverence for art and architecture in his family’s re-nowned stained glass business, The Judson Studios. Fusing art and design with the technical aspects of building was a natural progression for Bill.Bill’s unique perspective and degrees in civil engi-neering and architecture made him the perfect choice to host two of signature events: The Home Remodel-er’s Survival Guide Workshop, an information-packed seminar featuring insider tools and tips to help home-owners achieve a successful remodeling or cus-tom-build project and the Mid-Construction Showcase, a case-study event that walks people through one of his projects during construction.

Bill is both enthusiastic and well-qualified in sustain-ability and green building, having won an award for Leadership in Energy and Environmental as he com-pleted his Master’s in Architecture.

Bill is now the head of the HartmanBaldwin Con-sulting team, is the embodiment of the design/build approach. Bill and his team are grounded with the practical know-how necessary to provide innovative solutions to the toughest design dilemmas.

Notable and Recent Projects:

The Darling-Wright Residence

The first GreenPoint Rated historic home in Califor-nia—a Greene and Greene house in Claremont—showcases how to improve a building’s environmental performance while protecting its architectural integ-rity. Bill helped the HartmanBaldwin team carry out the large and complex renovation project in multiple phases.

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The Farmdale ResidenceThis 1940s ranch style home contained a small, enclosed galley kitchen, walled off living spaces, an unused fireplace and an entry way in need of updat-ing. The kitchen has been expanded and now opens to both the family room and dining room. Taking advantage of unused square footage allowed for an additional bedroom, larger entry and relocated living room, as well as a redesign of the exterior façade.

Editor’s Notes:HartmanBaldwin is a certified provider of Home Per-formance with Energy Star (HPwES); certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) and the California Building Performance Contractors Association (CBP-CA); and a member of Architecture 2030.

MEMBER OUTREACHBy Amy H Chang, AIA, LEED AP

When I took on the challenge as the Director of Com-munications, I did not realize that the Chapter covered an enormous geographic area from Glendale to Clare-mont and Diamond Bar.

In addition to keeping our members informed of Chap-ter events and programs, we are focused on outreach to ALL members and communities where we live and work.

As part of this effort, we have added a column, “Member Spotlight.” The intention of this section is to showcase members and provide more new network-ing opportunities.

We value our members and look forward to sharing more about those who are featured to the greater community.

We are also working on collaborating with other pro-fessional associations. The goal is to provide you a wider platform for professional networking as well as personal and business growth.

Communication needs two-way traffic. Please let us know how we can better serve you. We also welcome your help with letting others know that AIA Pasadena & Foothill Chapter is their local resource for architec-tural professional services and recommendations.

Interested in submitting your recent work and/or achievement you have accomplished? Any feedback how we can improve our services? Please contact [email protected]

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MEET OUR SPONSORS

A Big THANK YOU to Our SponsorsBy Tony Hambarchian, AIA Associate, Director of Sponsorship

The below sponsors are the sustaining corporate part-ners of the AIA Pasadena & Foothill Chapter that have brought our over 350 members the outstanding pro-grams offered over the course of this year. The Chapter is a component of both the larger State and National organizations and is thriving, with a membership that is consistently influencing the community and profession with their work. Our chapter is a unique community of peers with belief in supporting the regional architectural community through our events and programs and it is with the help of these sponsors that we have been able to make this goal a reality.

Our programs, seminars, e-newsletter, and website offer you the opportunity to reach a broad community of architects, engineers, specifiers, and suppliers within our Chapter area, which encompasses the entire San Ga-briel Valley. If you or your firm is interested in partnering with AIA Pasadena and Foothill chapter on future events or contribute to overall chapter programs please contact our chapter office for more information.

The AIA Pasadena and Foothill Chapter would like to thank the following sponsors for their contribution.

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Silver Sponsors:

In-Kind Sponsors:


EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

State of the City of PasadenaIn March, Mayor Bogaard identified and discussed specific challenges facing the City in 2014. The top-ics include the Devils Gate Dam sediment removal project, acquisition of renewable energy, the SR710 extension, reuse of the Julia Morgan building, fund-ing City employee pensions, and the City’s innova-tion-based economic development strategy.

L-R: Mark Gangi, Fariba Shantiyai, Dan Stein, Alek Zarifian, Naz-anin Zarkesh, Mayor Bogaard, Julie Arcelay, Farzin Torbati, Amy Chang, Harry Drake, Zelda Wong

Meet the Design Firms Career FairThe chapter participated at Woodbury University's "Meet the Design Firms" event on March 25, 2014. Alongside firms including AC Martin, Johnson Fain and many others, Membership director, Julie Arcelay and VP Mitch Sawasy were on hand to meet with students and to share about the value of AIA mem-bership. Recent grads are eligible for free one-year membership, which offers a great way to start getting connected.

VP Mitch Sawasy discussing AIA membership to prospective students

Office of Emergency Services (OES) Training

OES Training with Brian Lee was well attended and informative! Participants received vital information and education on what to do in the event of a disas-ter. This was an outstanding course and the chapter along with Architecture For Humanity looks forward to organizing another session soon. Thank you Brian for your time and expertise and to all those who attended and received certification.

Brian Lee, AIA, CASp, Member at Large, at the OES Training

Participants at the OES Training workshop

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AIA Grassroots Leadership Conference

Chapter leaders, Nazanin Zarkesh and Mitch Sawasy were in Washington DC attending the AIA Grassroots Leadership Conference. They met with Congressman Adam Schiff's office, as well as that of Congress-woman Grace Napolitano. Grassroots provides the opportunity for the Chapter to connect with legislative leaders and share with them about architects, our community concerns and needs.

L-R: Sawasy, Joseph Ciccone of Congresswoman Grace Napoli-tano's office, Zarkesh

Sponge City: Understanding Stormwater and Its Urban Design Implications

In April, Peter Hadley from Arid Lands Institute of Woodbury University presented a very compelling discussion about advanced research on LA’s storm-water resources and how it can be used to inform planning, policy, and design choices. Using the Upper LA River Watershed as study area, ALI presented recent high-resolution modeling commissioned by water agencies, showing precise opportunities and constraints on harvesting local water. An important fact learned was that 88-90% of the City of LA’s water is imported. This topic is worthy of further discussion.

Celebrate CO Architects

In May, AIAPF and AIA l LA joined forces to celebrate CO Architects for being honored with the 2014 AIACC Firm of the Year Award. CO Architect leaders includ-ing Scott Kelsey, Jenna Knudsen and Paul Zafjen were on hand to share about their recent project the Health Sciences Education Building, Biomedical Campus in Phoenix, AZ. The firm and project are also featured in the “Cool Spaces!” program which is cur-rently airing on KCET. Check KCET.org for program date/time.

Everyone enjoyed the mixer and presentation!

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Find us on LinkedIn – AIA Pasadena + FoothillA professional network of over 500 connections!!

If you wish to receive a hard copy of the newsletter, please email your request to [email protected]

Edited by: Ghazal Hooshmand, Communications Committee Designed by: Ghazal Hooshmand, Communications Commit-tee

555 South Oak Knoll Avenue Pasadena, California 91101www.aiapf.org

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COMING EVENTS:

• 7/16/2014 July Program – Architectural LED’s• 7/24/2014 Chapter Social – Who’s Up For “Project Show & Tell”?• 8/15/2014 Friday Forum – Pasadena General Plan New & Update• 8/16/2014 Office of Emergency Preparedness Training• 8/21/2014 8th Annual Get On The Bus Tour• 9/18/2014 AIA PF 2014 Design Awards• 10/4/2014 Bird House Competition• 10/17/2014 Pasadena Heritage Craftsman Weekend

2014 q2 bulletin

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design approach

sustainable design

better businesses

better tools

better designs

future of architecture

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