Gimme Shelter

Save the Dates

June 21st, 2007 – Design Awards Gala invite click here
July 14th, 2007 Gimme Shelter Charity Auction
July 17th, 2007 - Chapter Meeting – B.I.M. – The Summit Club
                             Birmingham Architectural Foundation Awards Scholarships
August 14th, 2007– Alagasco Midtown Business Center. 3 “Green” HSW’s
                             More info Coming
September 11th, 2007 Procrastination Education – Location TBA
                             Troubleshooting Sealant Applications in Wall Systems
                             Troubleshooting Cracks in Concrete
                             Troubleshooting Masonry Construction
                             Troubleshooting EIFS Cladding
                             Earn 5 AIA Approved HSW Learning Units
October 11th – AIA Golf Tournament
October 16th – Sponsor Appreciation Luncheon
                             Alabama Power (downtown)

July Chapter Meeting – 2 LU – The Summit Club
Buzz About Building Information Modeling presented by ALACAD
B.I.M. in Action - Revit Architecture to follow lunch.
The Birmingham Architectural Foundation will present scholarship winners at the chapter meeting.  ALACAD will present an overview of B.I.M during lunch.
A follow up presentation on Rivet Architecture will follow (at no additional cost) for those interested. 
Lunch must be paid for in advance of the meeting.  We will not take any payments the day of the meeting.
Members $15                          interns $10               non members $25
Please make checks payable to AIA Birmingham and mail to
AIA Birmingham, 107 South Richard Arrington Blvd. Birmingham AL 35233
Please RSVP for each presentation by July 13th.
ALACAD is sponsoring a portion of our lunch please let them know we appreciate their support.

The Summit Club and Birmingham Architectural Foundation Partner for Scholarship Funds
Have you ever thought about membership to The Summit Club?  This is the perfect The Summit Club membership opportunity and supporting your profession at the same time.
Membership in The Summit Club is by invitation. As Members (Rob Walker & Rhea Williams) of The Summit Club, we have been authorized by the club’s Board to invite members of the AIA to join The Summit Club through a special Membership initiative. As part of this privileged invitation, the Summit Club will consider the customary $1200 initiation fee satisfied by accepting a $150 check made out to the Birmingham Architectural Foundation for our scholarship fund and a $75 application  fee for the Summit Club together with the Summit Club Membership application.  Monthly dues apply. This is your one chance your membership initiation fee will be tax deductible since the check is written to the Birmingham Architectural Foundation and it is a non profit organization.  All of the membership initiation fee money will go directly into scholarships for 2008 applicants. 
This is a tremendous opportunity to support the Birmingham Architectural Foundation's scholarship mission while joining The Summit Club with a substantial initiation fee reduction.
More information will be coming your way via snail mail!

Birmingham Architectural Foundation Awards Scholarships
The Birmingham Architectural Foundation had seven applicants for scholarships.  We are very pleased with this number since we have been a non- profit organization for six months. The board of directors met May 23rd and reviewed each applicant.  Two $1000 scholarships will be awarded at the July 17th Chapter Meeting. 
We encourage all of you to attend this meeting and show your support for these two young students.  They could work in your firm one day!  We are excited about this opportunity to encourage and support students interested in architecture.  B.A.F is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.
www.birminghamarchitecturalfoundation.org. 

dreamArchitecture Winners!

dreamArchitecture had another amazing turnout for the awards ceremony.  There were over 100 people in attendance for the awards ceremony.  The students were so excited about all the attention they received and their art prizes.  The overall winner, Lilli Gibson designed a livable community and the community was built around a green space. We need more people to think like she does (she is a 3rd grader and she even gets the concept)
Jason Hsu designed a city that is completely underwater and powered by four generators, complete with the Atlantis Airport.
We hope you will be able to attend next year and see all the talented students work.
This year’s winner’s are still on display at ArchitectureWorks. photo gallery
Thank you again to all the firms that sponsored a grade;
CCR, Davis Architects Inc., Giattina Aycock Studios, Gresham Smith & Partners, HKW Associates, Hendon + Huckestein Architects PC, Herrington Architects PC and Paul Krebs & Associates. 
Click here for a complete list of winners

May Chapter Meeting
What a fun meeting!!!

2007 AIA Design Awards – Meet the Jury
Click here for invitation
Joann Gonchar is a senior editor at Architectural Record covering building science and technology. Prior to joining Record’s staff in March 2006, Joann worked for eight years at its sister publication, Engineering News-Record, where she wrote about the design and construction of buildings and edited ENR’s series of Sourcebooks. Before starting her career as a journalist, she worked for several architecture firms and spent three years in Kobe, Japan, with the firm, Team Zoo, Atelier Iruka. She is licensed to practice architecture in New York State and holds a master of architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.  

Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, The Board of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) named professor and urban planner Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, the 2007 recipient of the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. The AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions to architecture education for at least 10 years, whose teaching has influenced a broad range of students, and who has helped shape the minds of those who will shape our environment.  For more information
http://www.aia.org/press2_template.cfm?pagename=release_120806_topazLJB

Mark E. Strauss, FAIA, AICP. Architect, planner, and urban designer Mark Strauss, FAIA, AICP joined the firm FXFOWLE as a principle when Jambhekar Strauss merged with FXFOWLE in 2000.  Mark leads the firm’s Planning & Urban Design Studio.  A key aspect of his interest and talent lies in developing planning approaches to assist communities, institutions and developers redefine properties in response to design, economic, transportation and political concerns.  He has developed a national reputation for the sensitive and viable repositioning of sites and communities.
For more information www.fxfowle.com

Randy Croxton, FAIA. Randolph R. Croxton is internationally recognized as a pioneer and innovator in the achievement of environmental and sustainable architectural design. His built work, writings, and lectures have expanded our understanding of the far-reaching opportunities inherent in the balance of built and natural environments. As with his early years with I.M. Pei, design excellence has been central to the work of the firm and was dramatically recognized with the firm's receipt of the profession's highest award for design excellence: the AIA National Honor Award. Mr. Croxton's international standing is reflected in the fact that he was invited to present Audubon House, a leadership project which first fully integrated and defined the tenets of environmental/ sustainable design, at both the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio (1992) and the United Nations Social Summit in Copenhagen (1995).  For more information http://www.croxtonarc.com/home.cfm

Margaret Hefland, FAIA. Margaret Hefland has been recognized worldwide for her innovative approach to design of institutional buildings, interiors, college campuses and product design.  Her work is honroed in a monograph published in 1999 by Monacelli Press.  She was elected to the College of Fellows by the American Institute of Architects in 1998. Her project Kohlberg Hall, an academic building at Swarthmore College was honored with a 1998 AIA New York Distinguished Architecture Award.  She is a recipient of the 2002 Rome Prize in Architecture. 
Before founding her own firm, Hefland Architecture PC, in 1981 she was an associate with Marcel Breuer Associates in New York and worked with Archigram in London.

Design Awards Press
The Birmingham Business Journal for the last several years has been the AIA’s media sponsor for the AIA Design Awards. It’s an opportunity for the winning architectural firms to be acknowledged in the business community.  Your support to the Design Award publication in terms of advertising will help the Birmingham Business Journal produce a great product. As a member of the AIA you will receive a special discount rate. Contact Tammy Hawk for information 205-443-5619 or email thawk@bizjournals.com

Gimme Shelter

Architects Giving Back to the Community-Eyebeam
Kids construction at Magic City Art.

Above left: Two future architects sitting in their self-made house. Anna Morgan (left) and Emma Land (right).

Building Communities Conference
Please refer to the attached brochure for the 2007 Building Communities Conference set for Thursday June 14th at McWane Science Center in downtown Birmingham. This year's focus and session title is State of the Practice in Thoroughfare Design: Rural, Suburban and Urban Applications. If you have any interest in roadway design or corridor planning and development you don't want to miss this session. We have an excellent program that will include quality speakers, case studies and participant interaction (see agenda included in attached brochure).

Congratulations Davis Architects       

Davis Architects Inc. was honored today by the Birmingham Historical Society with a 2007 Preservation Award for the firm's "sensitive reuse" of the historic Birmingham Electric Battery Company garage and warehouse.

In addition, the longtime Birmingham architecture firm, celebrating its 95th year in business, is expanding its presence in the 1920s-era Second Avenue South building to accommodate as many as 10 more employees and increase meeting space. Davis Architects currently employs 30 people, a five-fold increase in only seven years.

Marjorie White, director of the Birmingham Historical Society, said Davis worked carefully to create an innovative and inviting workspace and studio without compromising the integrity of the original automotive garage and warehouse design. "They let the old building speak to them in a new language for a new tenant," White said, lauding the firm's "high-level of historical preservation" in maintaining an array of features from skylights and windows to wall finishes and room configurations.

Founded in 1912 by E.B. Van Keuren, the firm changed its name to Van Keuren & Davis in 1946 when Charles F. Davis, Jr., was named a partner. The original Mr. Davis, who joined the firm in 1939, was the father of current firm President Neil E. Davis.

In 1949, Paul M. Speake and J. Marion Thrasher joined Van Keuren, Davis and Company, which became Davis, Speake & Thrasher in 1961 and then Davis, Speake & Associates, Inc., in 1976.

Neil Davis joined the firm that same year after graduating from Auburn University’s School of Architecture. Ten years later, his pivotal role as the firm's lead principal and primary designer was recognized as the firm’s name was changed to Davis Architects, Inc.

Since the year 2000, when architects Geoff Clever and Julee Potter were named principals and vice presidents of the firm, Davis Architects has grown significantly, adding both architects and interior designers. The expansion plans announced today will provide room to accommodate another 33 percent increase in staff – in quite remarkable space that inspires the entire Davis team to achieve new heights in architectural and interior design, all focused on delivering enduring solutions for the firm’s clients.

Alabama Council State Convention
Register now for the state convention, rooms are going quick!! 
The Alabama Council AIA 2007 Annual Convention
Village of Baytown Wharf, Sandestin, Florida
July 6th - 8th, 2007
learn more, click here.