WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 ANNUAL OFFICIAL PUBLICATION AND DIRECTORY OF AIA WYOMING Design and Honor Awards Issue
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Wyoming Architecture .23 is a publication of the Wyoming Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. aia-wyoming.org AIA Wyoming PO Box 21833 Cheyenne, WY, 82003 (307) 286-5519 info@aia-wyoming.org PUBLICATION COVER: Loop Up Jackson, WY Danny Williams Architects 2024 UPCOMING AIA EVENTS: AIA Leadership Summit Washington, D.C., February 27-March 1, 2024 AIA Wyoming Spring Conference Laramie, WY, April 26-27, 2024 AIA24 — AIA Conference on Architecture and Design Washington, D.C., June 5-8, 2024 AIA Wyoming Annual Fall Conference Jackson, WY, September 26-28, 2024 CONTENTS President’s Message AIA Wyoming: Making a Difference ............................................................................................6 2023 AIA Wyoming Board of Directors and Staff . ............................................................ 7 The AIA Framework for Design Excellence Confessions of a Convert ..............................................................................................................8 AIA Wyoming Standing Committees ...................................................................................10 Education and Resources Committee New Passions and Engagement .................................................................................................11 Government Advocacy Committee Collaboration in Legislation for Wyoming Architects ...........................................................12 Membership Development Committee Getting Goals Accomplished ......................................................................................................13 Public Awareness Committee Ten Years of Outreach and Awareness .....................................................................................14 2023 AIA Leadership Summit ................................................................................................ 16 AIA Wyoming Career Center................................................................................................... 19 A’23 AIA Conference on Architecture 2023 ..................................................................... 20 Wyoming Architects and Landscape Architects Practice Act Amendments..........22 AIA Small Firm Exchange (SFx) ............................................................................................ 23 2023 Report from the AIA Strategic Council ................................................................... 25 AIA Wyoming Spring Conference ........................................................................................ 26 AIA Wyoming Annual Fall Conference + Design and Honor Awards. ....................... 28 AIA Wyoming Design and Honor Awards Program ........................................................30 Architectural Education Foundation.....................................................................................57 Thank You Sponsors .................................................................................................................. 58 AIA and Associate AIA WY Member Directory ................................................................ 59 AIA WY Allied Member Directory ......................................................................................... 65 2024 AIA Wyoming Calendar ................................................................................................ 66 ©2023 AIA WY | The newsLINK Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Wyoming Architecture .23 is published annually by The newsLINK Group, LLC for the AIA Wyoming Chapter and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the AIA WY, its board of directors, or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Wyoming Architecture is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of the AIA WY. While Wyoming Architecture encourages a first-print policy, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at 855.747.4003.
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AIA Wyoming: Making a Difference DALE BUCKINGHAM, AIA from Hawaii to Virginia. The face-to-face conversations and seminars were valuable as I listened to many fellow architects express the same challenges and pressures that we face in Wyoming and how they are working through those issues. Topics such as engaging emerging professionals, the advent of AI in our profession and protecting the integrity and creativity of our profession were the fodder of most of our conversations. By the end of the conference, I was highly encouraged that our chapter is at the forefront of many of these issues and has already addressed or is addressing many issues that other chapters are just not diving into. The AIA Conference on Architecture, held in San Francisco this year, was attended by our President-Elect, Mitch Blake, AIA. Please take some time to read Mitch’s article about the conference and AIA Wyoming’s involvement on pages 20-21. The conference in 2024 will be held in Washington, D.C. For those looking to attend the event in June, I encourage you to register early. Classes and tours fill up quickly. Closer to home, we hosted a Spring Conference in Cody and an Annual Fall Conference and Design and Honor Awards Program in Casper in 2023. Both conferences were well attended and provided a broad spectrum of topics for continuing education for our membership. Details and photos of the conferences are included on pages 26-29. Congratulations to our 2023 Design and Honor Award winners. For those who need a refresher, AIA Wyoming works at the grassroots level of our profession through four committees (products of our Strategic Plan) whose names define their activities: Membership Development, Education and Resources, Traveling around the state of Wyoming recently, I am struck by the amount of activity in nearly every community. Each city and town in our great state has a busy season … Laramie when UW is in session, Cody and Jackson when the Parks are open, Cheyenne when the legislators are in town and Casper when they host high school tournaments. Yet, I find that there is much activity even in the “off-season.” Even in my hometown of Sheridan, the traffic on the streets and the construction activities are reminiscent of the boom days of the past. This is despite higher interest rates and cautious investors. As architects, we are in a great position to help guide the development and growth of our communities, counties and the state. AIA Wyoming is also growing to support our profession and the needs of our members, providing resources and training to respond to the increasing need for solid design solutions in Wyoming and beyond. The award-winning publication you hold in your hand or read online is one of the resources AIA Wyoming provides to promote the great architects and architecture of our membership. Please take some time to read the details of the events and activities of our chapter in 2023. Compared to other AIA Chapters around the nation, we are small in number but tout a much higher rate of participation of our members. It is the active involvement of our members that gives our chapter the ability to have an impact in our communities and even at the national level. In February, our Executive Director, Susan Menghini, and I attended the AIA Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., and had the opportunity to meet the new leaders at the national level as well as many board members from other chapters Public Awareness and Government Advocacy. Over the past couple of years, our Government Advocacy committee has been working with the Wyoming Board of Architects and Landscape Architects (WBALA) on legislation known as the “Practice Act Amendments” to provide increased opportunities for emerging professionals to gain licensure in our state, which does not have a School of Architecture. With the help of our committee and several key AIA Wyoming members, including State Senator Stephan Pappas, AIA Emeritus, the legislation passed. Currently, AIA Wyoming has a task force in place to work with the WBALA on rulemaking. This is good news for our state, and when the new rules are in place, we should see greater retention of young architects in Wyoming. As I look back over 2023 and my first year as Chapter President, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside amazing people who genuinely believe that, as design professionals, we make an everyday difference in our respective communities and state. Yes, we often compete against each other for projects, but we do our best in community with each other, sharing ideas and encouraging one another. So, for AIA members reading this, I admonish you not to be an island out there trying to make it on your own. AIA Wyoming is here to support you and your profession as we continue to move into exciting times in the design and construction industries. I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us! PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 6 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 | www.aia-wyoming.org
2023 AIA Wyoming Board of Directors and Staff AIA Wyoming Board of Directors and Staff (left to right): Britney Sulzen, Assoc. AIA, Associate Director; Susan Menghini, Executive Director; Mitch Blake, AIA, President-Elect; Tim Schenk, AIA, Director; Brandon Daigle, AIA, Treasurer; Dale Buckingham, AIA, President; Carl Kohut, AIA, Board Candidate; Rachel Delventhal, AIA, Secretary; Lewis Matthew Miller, AIA, Past-President (not pictured) As a third generation commercial glazing company we are constantly striving to be the best in our industry. There is no project too big or too small for us to handle. Whether we fabricate the job for you to install or install the material ourselves, we are the premier commercial glaziers that you want on the job. 307-266-1440 • INFO@AGCWYO.COM • WWW.AGCWYO.COM 7
The AIA Framework for Design Excellence Confessions of a Convert BY PAUL LEWANDOWSKI, IIDA, AIA At first, I wasn’t buying it. When AIA Maine adopted the AIA Framework for Design Excellence (F4DE) as part of our design awards program in 2019, shortly after the Framework was released, I was concerned that it would reduce the number of entries we receive each year and become a barrier. I have always considered myself to be a “green” architect. I was an early LEED-accredited professional and worked on many Net Zero projects. I didn’t understand the F4DE; I thought it would be complicated to comply with, take away time I didn’t have and strongarm itself onto my clients. F4DE is NOT a tool for green shaming. The Framework seeks to inform progress toward a zero-carbon, equitable, resilient and healthy built environment. As a toolkit or checklist, it provides a set of principles that guide us, as architects, towards better design regardless of the project size, scope or sustainability goals. I was wrong. As I continue to learn about the framework, I’ve seen how it isn’t only a tool for measuring a project against similar projects. It provides a robust checklist of thought-starters that can be utilized throughout the course of a project, from pre-design through post-occupancy evaluations. The Framework The F4DE is a set of 10 principles. Design for: Integration, Equitable Communities, Ecosystems, Water, Economy, Energy, Well-Being, Resources, Change and Discovery. The 10 principles are organized around four outcomes or areas of impact: Zero carbon, Equitable, Resilient and Healthy. Many of the suggestions in the principles are things that we may already be doing — designing for daylight, specifying environmentally friendly materials, or providing universal access. The AIA website has an excellent description and ample information on each principle, as well as links to external resources. I encourage you to visit it by scanning the QR code, especially the section on “If you can do only one (or a few) thing(s),” which lists some of the most impactful and easy things to consider. https://www.aia.org/resources/6077668framework-for-design-excellence My studio is small, with four full-time staff and four part-time. We are based in Portland, Maine. We utilize the F4DE in our projects. We recently applied it to projects in concept design, construction and post-occupancy. After sharing the Framework with a new client and preparing a graphic description of the process, I was amazed at the positive reaction we received. The document is a goal sheet for the project. We discussed how we may not achieve all of the goals but that it was important to discuss possibilities. Below, I list each of the Principles and some of the aspects of each that we use in our work. 1. Design for Integration Getting client input and allowing people to be heard is crucial to a project’s success. BuildingGreen.com has an excellent article on “How to Run a Great Workshop” that you can read by scanning the QR code. https://www.buildinggreen.com/ feature/how-run-great-workshop-37-tips-and-ideas In it, they give tips for preventing design by committee, the timing of meetings, gaining value for disagreeable people and supporting iteration. With 37 tips, it is an exhaustive set of helpful tips for client integration. 2. Design for Equitable Communities Calculate your Walk Score with www.walkscore.com. Most realtors are using this website to quickly describe a location in terms of walkability, bike-ability and availability of public transportation. Remember, this is a tool of discovery and not shame. I’ve got projects that have a low score due to their location, near a highway or rural site. The walk score might be low, but going through the process has caused me to think about equitability and prompted me to discuss things with the client, like providing a shuttle or organizing carpools for employees. 3. Design for Ecosystems There are so many possibilities in designing for ecosystems, but one that is near and dear to me is bird safety. With over a billion bird strikes each year, designing bird-safe glazing 8 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 | www.aia-wyoming.org
is very important. Especially in community-based projects, no one feels good after hearing that awful thump of a bird crashing into a window. Skyline Design is one manufacturer of bird-safe patterns on glass, but they also have published an excellent article on it that you can scan the QR code to read. https://skydesign.com/news/bird-safeglass-for-architecture/ 4. Design for Water Managing water usage and runoff should be a discussion topic with your client. Specifying low-flow fixtures is required by most codes. Thinking about site draining is another water discussion. On one of our projects, we are working with the local watershed authority to receive grants for replacing asphalt paving with permeable paving. This will allow for more filtration of runoff. 5. Design for Economy There are several questions to ask here. Can we reuse a building and renovate it instead of building new? Can we specify local materials and support local industries? Is the building we are designing right-sized for the program? How long will this building be in use? Asking these questions and others can help us to bring value to our buildings. None of these questions are difficult to discuss with a client at the start of a project. 6. Design for Energy This principle can easily become a deep dive into energy modeling and EUI (Energy Use Index) calculations. But we can also consider energy by thinking about passive energy strategies, asking what the available power sources are or designing an all-electric building that can take advantage of future electric power sources. 7. Design for Well-Being One way to design a healthy building is to eliminate harmful chemicals present in many building products. Declare describes itself as the nutrition label for products. Developed by the International Living Future Institute, Declare is a rating system for products related to how many or how few RedList chemicals a product contains. The Red List represents the worst in-class materials, chemicals and elements known. Specifying Red-List-free products is becoming easier and easier to do thanks to many manufacturers working to have their products labeled. Learn more at living-future.org/declare/basics/. 8. Design for Resources Carbon. There is a lot of discussion about carbon. When designing a building, consider materials that sequester carbon. Wood is an obvious choice. Mass timber building is very popular here in the Northeastern United States. But other bio-based materials like hemp, bamboo and straw are faster renewing than wood and provide even greater opportunity for sequestering carbon. Hempitecture (www.hempitecture.com) makes a number of hemp-based insulation products — including panels and batts. 9. Design for Change Resilience. We discuss resilience a lot. Designing buildings that last makes sense. By doing this, we are making the most of the materials we specify. Global warming has increased the number of disasters we face. If you are designing public buildings, ask if they are intended to be a shelter. Assess how your building will respond to flooding, hurricanes or tornadoes. And also consider the future use of the building or how it might be dismantled after its useful life. 10. Design for Discovery Another multi-faceted principle. Think about how, during the process of designing a building, you develop a relationship with the client, contractor and local officials and how those relationships will potentially make you a better design professional. Despite all advances in technology and construction methods, I believe the business of architecture is still relationship-based. Don’t forget post-occupancy evaluations. They further the relationships developed, provide lessons learned and cement the learning we have achieved. Lastly, how can your design promote delight? Ben Channon, author of The Happy Design Toolkit, writes about how the initial sense of awe and joy produced when entering a welldesigned building can create a lasting positive feeling in people. Utilizing the Framework for Design Excellence has been a game changer for my practice. It wasn’t difficult to start using it, but we still have a lot to learn about the myriad aspects the Framework presents. It is a great checklist that reminds us of things we usually think about and opens our minds to consider what more we can do to design excellent buildings. 9
AIA Wyoming Standing Committees BY BRITNEY SULZEN, ASSOC. AIA AIA Wyoming is doing amazing things! AIA Wyoming members have contributed to planning and working towards maintaining connections with each other across the state. Our conferences this year have been a testament to what we can do as an architectural community in Wyoming. The architectural profession continues to evolve and so does our AIA Wyoming Chapter. It is important to encourage new voices to become involved in AIA Wyoming and one or more of the four Standing Committees. Our current membership is made up of a more experienced architectural community, and in my personal opinion, we are missing opportunities emerging professionals could provide. So, I encourage you to look amongst your peers in the office and ask how many of them would be a great addition to AIA Wyoming or a Standing Committee. Available Committees: Education and Resources Public Awareness Membership Development Government Advocacy These four committees, along with all the conference planning teams, are responsible for events and programs AIA Wyoming provides. If you attended one of our conferences this year, you witnessed the amazing minds that make up our community of AIA Wyoming. The chapter has a wonderful history of having vast participation from its membership, but involvement in the committees and AIA Wyoming is starting to change. AIA Wyoming currently has an opportunity to have a strong voice and share our knowledge as an individual chapter with other AIA National Chapters. There is a bright future for AIA Wyoming, and I encourage all our architects, emerging professionals and associates to get involved and share your voice. We currently have members of our Wyoming Chapter sitting on several National Committees, such as the Strategic Council, Young Architects Forum, National Associates Committee, Small Business Exchange, etc. If you want to share your ideas and put them into action, meet other great professionals, advance your career and help advance the architectural profession, please consider joining a committee. It is a rewarding and fun way to have an active role in AIA and network with colleagues, peers and mentors throughout the state. Without a strong AIA organization locally and nationally, the profession would not thrive as it has for so many years. I ask that each of you consider what AIA Wyoming has done or could do for you and consider what you can do for it. Give back and get involved. Join this wonderful group of individuals today! 10 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 | www.aia-wyoming.org
Education and Resources Committee New Passions and Engagement BY CLINT TAYLOR, AIA The Education and Resource Committee’s primary goal is to promote architecture to the public and provide educational resources for AIA Wyoming members to use when engaging with students and clients across the state. Before the pandemic, the committee’s focus was to get into elementary schools (primarily 4th graders) and teach kids what architects do. Coming out of the pandemic, the committee was fortunate to gain several new committee members. With those new members came new passions and a new focus for the committee as a whole. While not the primary focus, the committee hopes to renew connecting with students and teachers in cities across Wyoming. There will be continued efforts to reach high school students and improve outreach developments to a higher education audience and the public. The most recent public outreach event, and one of those new passions, was the soft start of our SWELL presentations. The Second Wednesday Engagement Lunch and Learn (SWELL) will become a regularly scheduled event that rotates around the state. A hosting Architecture firm opens their office to other Architects, consultants, contractors and even possibly select government/ municipal officials for an educational opportunity. Our hope is that these events will also be broadcast via Zoom to remote hubs across the state for a simultaneous virtual event. Topics can range from a product rep’s preapproved AIA presentation to an informal gathering discussing sustainability issues and strategies. The intent of the program is to draw our industry partners in so that they are on the same page as our members and so that everyone is able to learn together. Brandon Daigle is our committee’s liaison to the AIA Wyoming Board of Directors; Committee member Kenra Shirley represents AIA Wyoming on the national Young Architects Forum (YAF); committee member Suzanne Norton is AIA Wyoming’s Continuing Education Services (CES) Coordinator; and Membership Development Committee’s liaison Britney Sulzen represents AIA Wyoming on the National Associates Committee (NAC). Having these committee members reporting what other chapters in the region and across the country are doing helps us provide the best services to our members. Committee Members: Clint Taylor, AIA, Chair Jessica Barnhouse, AIA Brandon Daigle, AIA Britt Morgan, AIA Suzanne Norton, AIA 11
The mission of the Government Advocacy Committee is to advocate for legislation and regulations that support the value of architecture. 2023 was an exciting year for AIA Wyoming and the profession of architecture. For a few years and with the support of the membership of the chapter, AIA Wyoming has been working in collaboration with the Wyoming Board of Architects and Landscape Architects (WBALA) to review and possibly make changes to the Architects Practice Act. This year, the stars aligned with two great boards (AIA Wyoming and WBALA) working together and our very own member and legislator, Senator Stephan Pappas, AIA Emeritus. We requested that Senator Pappas sponsor a bill to make amendments to the Practice Act. The large part and focus of this bill were to allow alternative paths to licensure outside attending a National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) Program, which Wyoming does not have. AIA Wyoming also supported changes to administrative burdens and authority to provide grant funds that were also included in this bill. After months of working on the agreed-upon language, SF 113 Practice Act Amendments legislation was considered during the 2023 State of Wyoming Legislative Session. We thank the sponsors of the bill and the members of the Senate and House Travel Committees for their support of this legislation as it went to the floor of both Houses for consideration. Once the legislation was officially passed, we celebrated by attending the signing of the bill by Governor Mark Gordon. Thank you to the members of AIA Wyoming, the Government Advocacy Committee, the Board of Directors and staff for their grassroots efforts in contacting legislators throughout the months to support this effort. Thank you to our affiliate organizations, WBALA, National Council of Architectural Regulation Board (NCARB), and Council of Landscape Architectural Boards (CLARB) for this collaborative effort. Since the passing of this bill, AIA Wyoming organized a Task Force of members to assist WBALA in crafting the rulemaking language. The Task Force includes Randy Byers, AIA; Clint Taylor, AIA; Mitch Blake, AIA; Lewis Matthew Miller, AIA and Dale Buckingham, AIA. The work continues, and we look forward to the outcome and seeing more architects in Wyoming. Other state legislation the chapter supported during the 2023 Legislative Session consisted of the support for Governor Mark Gordon’s request for increasing the funds into the Corpus of the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund. Lastly, we monitored a bill that would provide a tax credit for expenditures to improve abandoned and nuisance buildings. Another achievement for our chapter was making visits to Washington, D.C., by our President, Dale Buckingham, AIA and Executive Director, Susan Menghini. They made visits to all three offices of our Wyoming Congressional Leadership with Federal issues that all AIA members across the country also discussed with their Congressional Leadership. Lobby Day 2023 provided architect members with a platform to directly advocate for legislation impacting the profession before Members of Congress and Congressional staff. Topics of discussion included two bipartisan pieces of legislation: the Resilient AMERICA Act, which would make significant changes to the federal government’s ability to prepare communities for future natural disaster events, and the request for no federal mandate on architectural design. We were not able to attend the AIA’s State and Local Government Network Conference, but we hope to participate next year. Architects must have a seat at the table when important civic decisions are made and must play a vital role in crafting public policy solutions that address the most prominent issues facing states and cities. By advocating solutions within the built environment to address issues like school safety, climate change and affordable housing, architects are at the forefront of solving these critical challenges. The more architects work with state and local elected officials, the greater the positive impact on these and other important issues facing the profession, the business and our communities. The committee continues to work on local, state and federal issues surrounding the profession. We are pleased with our success in 2023. We are appreciative of our engaged members and industry partners. Committee Members: Mitch Blake, AIA Cornelius Kinsey, AIA Lewis Matthew Miller, AIA Lyle Murtha, AIA Charlie Van Over, AIA Will Wedemeyer, AIA Will Wheatley, AIA Government Advocacy Committee Collaboration in Legislation for Wyoming Architects BY LEWIS MATTHEW MILLER, AIA; MITCH BLAKE, AIA AND SUSAN MENGHINI, ED 12 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 | www.aia-wyoming.org
The mission of the Membership Development Committee is to enhance the membership experience. By embracing the mission, the committee holds activities for members, associate members, non-members and industry partners for the two chapter conferences and provides other membership events as well throughout the year. These activities allow people to engage in conversation, network and provide opportunities for young professionals to meet seasoned architects and potential mentors. With a small group of volunteers, our committee continues to hold these events and brainstorm new ways to grow our membership, add new committee and chapter members to enhance and grow the AIA Wyoming membership experience. For the 2023 Annual Fall Conference held in Casper on September 28th, the Membership Development hosted Speed Mentoring in conjunction with the welcome reception/tour held at Casper’s Black Tooth Brewery. For the tour of the Brewery project (presented by Lyle Murtha, AIA — Stateline No. 7 Architects and Ansley Mouw, Associate AIA — Winters Griffith Architects), AIA members, along with industry partners, were paired off to listen and discuss the project. Once the tour presentation concluded, the paired groups were then brought together with other paired groups for questions and discussion, both related and unrelated to architecture. It was one of the most successful social and networking events to date. The Membership Development Committee received many compliments for its work and creativity for the event. Most members stated that they had not conversed with so many individuals at one AIA Wyoming event before. We have several exciting membership events in the works for the upcoming 2024 spring and fall conferences, so stay tuned for more details. In addition, we are also working with the Education and Resource Committee on providing more social, mentoring and educational experiences that the members can participate in throughout the year. One opportunity is SWELL. The committee continues to meet on the third Thursday of every month to discuss its efforts for future events and opportunities to bring current and potential members together. We continually work on efforts in recruiting and retaining members, so if you are interested in being a part of this amazing committee, please let one of the committee or board members know. Committee Members: Rachel Delventhal, AIA Ansley Mouw, Associate AIA Kendra Shirley, AIA Roger Stewart, AIA Britney Sulzen, Associate AIA Membership Development Committee Getting Goals Accomplished BY BRITNEY SULZEN, ASSOCIATE AIA AND RACHEL DELVENTHAL, AIA 13
The Public Awareness Committee is continuing to produce material that helps promote Wyoming architecture and bring awareness to the public. AIA Wyoming is always thinking of ways to reach out to the public and membership to keep everyone involved and educated, as well as strengthen our relationships with industry partners. The Wyoming Architecture publication is celebrating a decade with this year’s issue! We are very happy that this publication has become a major resource of information to provide exposure of the profession to the public. We have built up a great distribution coverage with this publication with our list of industry partners, legislators, state departments, schools, contractors, realtors, clients, members and many other contacts throughout the state. This publication reaches and educates the public on our profession through the activities and programs of our chapter. The calendar project is in its ninth year and is still FREE. Please contact anyone on this Public Awareness Committee to take one or grab multiple to pass them out. The images in the calendar are of Wyoming projects throughout the state, designed by AIA Wyoming architects and designers from across the state. For more information on AIA Wyoming calendars, contact AIA Wyoming at info@aia-wyoming.org or by viewing our website at www.aia-wyoming.org. Please refer to page 66 for more information. Our Instagram account for AIA Wyoming has been up for over a year now and is full of great Wyoming projects. We have posted all images from previous calendar entries and will continue to post as we have photo entries. You can visit this account at www.instagram.com/aiawyoming. We are also sharing the images we post on Instagram to the Facebook page so you can catch these Wyoming projects on either platform. Please join us in liking AIA Wyoming’s Facebook and Instagram pages and inviting other professionals, colleagues or anyone interested in architecture to like it as well. AIA Wyoming celebrated World Architecture Month in October by coinciding with the Annual AIA Wyoming Fall Conference. There were multiple tours and presentations open to the public and advertised on our social media accounts and in the local newspaper. See the fall conference summary on pages 28-29 for more information on these events. The Public Awareness Committee continues to inform the public about the great community of architects Wyoming has to offer and how they impact all our lives. We are always open to new ideas and volunteers to help us promote awareness of the profession through AIA Wyoming. We are looking forward to 2024 and the potential to expand our outreach. Committee Members: Anthony Jacobsen, AIA, Chair Lyle Murtha, AIA Andrea Haro, Assoc. AIA Ellen Martin, Assoc. AIA Tim Schenk, AIA Public Awareness Committee Ten Years of Outreach and Awareness BY ANTHONY JACOBSEN, AIA 14 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 | www.aia-wyoming.org
STATELINE NO. 7 ARCHITECTS 307.265.3611 www.stateline7.com Casper, Wyoming
2023 AIA Leadership Summit BY DALE BUCKINGHAM, AIA AND SUSAN MENGHINI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR After two years of virtual gatherings, AIA’s premier chapter leadership training event returned to Washington, D.C., Feb. 14-17, 2023, with a new name and an exceptional program. Dale Buckingham, AIA and Susan Menghini attended the AIA Leadership Summit 2023 (formerly the Grassroots and Leadership Conference) for four days of vital leadership training, keynotes, networking, Hill Day and much more. The conference included how multigenerational trends change architecture, practical business knowledge through concurrent sessions on chapter management, operations and leadership, networking with hundreds of peers, and Capitol Hill visits to influence policy and engage with Members of Congress. Highlights include: • This year’s theme, Architecture’s Generations at Work, focused on building bridges to create a better world and a stronger profession, skills you can apply to every facet of your professional life. • AIA Leadership Summit is always one of AIA’s best-attended events. This year, reconnecting in person made it even more special. • The leadership of architects is critical in demonstrating the power of design to address society’s most pressing challenges, from climate action to racial and social justice to the pandemic. We took note of the discussion on how to advocate for the broader purposes of architecture through civic activism and the role of architects in making time for civic advocacy in their communities. The opening general session, titled Citizen Architect, began on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 14 with keynote James Carville. James is an American political consultant, author and occasional actor who has strategized for candidates for public office in the United States and in at least 23 nations abroad. Following the keynote presenter was a panel discussion on keeping the momentum of advocacy throughout the year. Involved citizens must advocate for their priority issues on a continual basis. The session explored ways to build lasting relationships with our elected officials, generate interest for our causes and collaborate with partners. The panelists Lakisha Woods, Kimberly Dowdell, Emily Grandstaff-Rice and Kevin Holland covered how AIA’s advocacy programs can add to your federal, state and local campaigns. AIA Lobby Day is one component of this year’s AIA Leadership Summit, with more than 400 architect members who attended meetings with their members of Congress. As professionals and constituents, AIA members are advocating for two bipartisan pieces of legislation that benefit communities and their inhabitants. In support of AIA’s Federal Issues agenda, Dale and Susan discussed with Senator John Barrasso, Senator Cynthia Lummis’ Legislative Assistant, Holt Edwards and Representative Harriet Hageman’s Legislative Assistant, James Leavitt, the Democracy in Design Act to ensure that communities across the country maintain 16 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 | www.aia-wyoming.org
a voice in the design of federal buildings consistent with their preferences, culture, topographies and design traditions. We also reviewed for the Resilient AMERICA Act, which would make significant changes to the federal government’s ability to prepare communities for future natural disasters. The bill would accomplish this by increasing federal funding for pre-disaster mitigation through FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. On the Thursday following our Hill visits, we joined in on the opening plenary session with AIA Leadership on designing the future of the profession, a discussion on issues impacting the built environment and architects. The remainder of Thursday morning included breakout sessions on chapter management that included engaging multiple generations, generational tech divide, the power of mentoring, guide to equitable hiring, utilizing social media, know/sell your organization and non-dues revenue programming and more. One session attended was by Kim Lear with Inlay, a generational expert, writer and strategist who provided insights and understanding of generational trends and discovered how valuable employees of all ages are changing the workforce. While generational diversity brings various experiences and perspectives to the workplace, each generation’s differing needs and values must be addressed to build a high-performing organization. The increasing diversity in groups resulting from the mix of generations and cultures is driving a shift toward more complexity in mentoring, managing and leading, affecting processes and workforce expectations. Another session attended was about the power of mentoring and preparing emerging professionals. Mentorship is a vital component of an architect’s career. Whether you are in the process of earning your license or an emerging professional, mentorship is important for the mentor and the mentee, providing value to both and the firm. At the end of the day, everyone has the same goal in mind, looking to make their best contribution on the journey while being happy and fulfilled for themselves and their surroundings. We shared our experiences on partnerships that have helped shape career paths. Continued breakout sessions on Thursday included a session on the importance of good governance. Reviewing and improving the governance structure provides a range of benefits from reducing failure risks to improving chapter financial and operational performance. The session focused on the benefits of a good governance reviewed and how to do an effective review that delivers AIA 2023 President Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA Kim Lear, Inlay 17
actionable results. Another session included how to recruit, select and hire staff for AIA chapters to broaden opportunities and create lasting organizational development. The session provided leaders with insights on how to design and implement an executive search that will attract a diverse talent pool and give all qualified candidates an equal opportunity. Successful member engagement leads to increased retention and renewal rates. Members are looking for value and engagement. The more personalized experiences, the better. The Thursday afternoon general session, titled Together in the Sandbox, was led by Vancouver, WA resident from Martin and Downs Association Consulting Solutions, Ginger Downs, CAE, an Association Management Consultant of 35 years, who gave a great presentation to end the day on chapter management and leadership takeaways. She reviewed the importance of the partnership of staff and leadership. Her Ferris wheel description of members (spokes) and staff (hub) was a way to identify that you can’t do one without the other. She noted the board should focus on three primary roles: stewardship, oversight and accountability. Ginger Downs is a recognized realtor association executive and a national speaker and facilitator who regularly conducts leadership and association executive training programs. She chaired many National Association of Realtors (NAR) executive committees and work groups. She also served on key committees, including its executive, finance, strategic planning, communications and diversity committees. Ms. Downs has presented at numerous NAR leadership summits. For more than 10 years, she has presented at the association’s new executive training and was consistently ranked the #1 presenter. She has been a guest speaker at national meetings of the Women’s Counsel of Realtors, the Institute of Real Estate Management and the National Association of Apartments. She was the featured keynote speaker at the Realtor Association Professional Development Directors Summit in 2018. She was an instructor and content developer for the NAR’s L.E.A.D. program. As a partner of Martin & Downs (M & D) Association Consulting Solutions in May 2018, she has provided services and training to over 100 associations, including planning, leadership training, general facilitation, governance reviews, executive search and much more. The Thursday prior to the evening reception, Susan attended the CACE (Council for Architectural Component Executives) meeting to hear about updates from AIA Trust, AIA Member Resources, Lakisha Woods, EVP/CEO, and Kevin Watkins, Membership and Component Engagement. The final day of the AIA Leadership Summit included a final session of chapter management that included topics on civic engagement, component partnership with AIA, leadership development for success and resource development for volunteers and staff. The session attended on citizen architects explored the impact architects can make in creating livable, healthy, sustainable and quality-designed environments in their communities. The panelists shared thoughts on creating a professional culture where civic engagement is valued, the expertise of architects is valued, and chapter members become trusted advisors to elected officials. In closing, the keynote addressed Leadership in Changing Times. Shelia C. Johnson, Co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and CEO of Ginger Downs, CAE Shelia C. Johnson Salamander Hotels & Resorts, Entrepreneur and philanthropist, provided the closing session. We heard the personal stories of how Ms. Johnson reimagined and reframed challenges and solutions to become a successful change leader. The Leadership Summit provides great networking opportunities with other practitioners and staff. In conversations with others from Hawaii to Virginia and many states in between, a common discussion revolved around engaging and mentoring young professionals to carry the torch of our profession into the next decades. Our challenge in Wyoming is not unique. Throughout the nation, we are searching for the best strategies for older professionals to catch up with the technology and younger professionals to fully gain experiential knowledge available from those who have gone before them. We thank the board of directors for sending us to Washington, D.C., for the leadership conference and encourage others to attend next year.
44 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .20 | www.aia-wyoming.org 41 Connecting professionals and employers in Wyoming’s architect community. aia-wyoming.org/jobs Dedicated to the architect community, the AIA Wyoming Career Center is a valuable search and recruitment resource for professionals and employers in Wyoming. The Career Center offers simple and easy-to-use tools to make searching for career opportunities and finding qualified candidates fast, efficient and successful. Tools for Job Seekers The AIA Wyoming Career Center gives job seekers access to inside opportunities available only through the association and provides the tools needed to quickly find and apply for jobs. Advanced Job Search Find the most relevant biotech jobs from top employers across the state. Customized Job Alerts Stay up-to-date on the latest opportunities by receiving automated notifications. Apply for Jobs Create an anonymous profile and resume to quickly apply for jobs and have employers come to you. Advantages for Employers Employers can fill positions faster and at a lower cost than other job websites by reaching a qualified and targeted audience of Wyoming architect professionals. Recruit Top Talent Target job seekers committed to the advancement of bioscience. Low-Cost Posting Packages Reduce recruitment costs with flexible, affordable posting options. Proactive and Direct Recruitment Take advantage of search, email and online advertising options to recruit candidates. Visit the AIA Wyoming Career Center Discover the difference the AIA Wyoming Career Center can make for you. To search jobs, post jobs or learn more, visit aia-wyoming.org/jobs. AIA Wyoming Career Center Find the people and careers driving innovation. aia.wy.associationcareernetwork.com search jobs, post jobs or learn more, visit aia.wy.associationcareernetwork.com.
The A’23 was a lively event with a healthy turnout, excellent programs and fantastic tours. The Moscone Center works very well for these conferences, and it was nice to visit the building again to appreciate its architectural qualities and to be able to walk a short distance to view Mario Botta’s SF MOMA building. And best of all, San Francisco is a great place to visit in spite of the challenges and building vacancies that have received so much national attention. I have been to several national AIA conferences, but this was my first time attending the AIA Business Meeting as a representative for AIA Wyoming. It was nice to meet up with Dan Stalker at the meeting and listen to the candidates give their speeches prior to the vote. It was interesting to feel the difference in energy watching the candidates speak live as opposed to watching their campaign videos on my computer. The voting process was all digital and was easily done on your cell phone. Following the voting, it was interesting to hear members of the various AIA chapters voice their concerns, insights and hopes for the future of their chapters and let AIA National know what is happening across the country. It was great to watch Dan Stalker, as a representative of AIA Wyoming, request that AIA National include the Strategic Council in future AIA Leadership Summit meetings. There were a number of other issues discussed, but one in particular that caught my attention was repeated requests that AIA National consider reducing the cost of future National Conferences. I had the privilege of discussing this issue and a few others with Latoya Kamdang (voted in as At-Large Director 2024-2026) as we waited in a long line at the lunch kiosk. I suggested we work on getting architects paid what they are worth so they can afford to attend conferences, in addition to considering ways to make conferences more affordable. She seemed intrigued by the idea. Following the business meeting, I attended the remainder of the conference and would like to share a few of my personal highlights. It was a privilege to listen to The Right Honorable Jacinda Arden, past Prime Minister of New Zealand, who presented as a Keynote Speaker. She discussed her time as Prime Minister in an interview with AIA President Emily Grandstaff-Rice and showed some architectural projects she had been influential in bringing to fruition. I was fortunate to attend a few tours and have included some photographs of these projects. First, I attended a tour of the San Francisco City Hall. It has recently been renovated and is topped by one of the highest domes in the world. It is a four-story, 500,000 sq. ft. structure that takes up two full city blocks. Its gold-leaf embellished dome hearkens to the dome of Les Invalides in Paris. We started in the basement, rolling on creepers to see the retrofit seismic foundation isolators and climbed to the top of the dome spire to observe fantastic views of the city. Venturing in the crawlspace and structural cavity of the dome was a bit dusty, as well as a good workout. BY MITCH BLAKE, AIA A’23 AIA Conference on Architecture 2023 Moscone Center SF MOMA 20 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 | www.aia-wyoming.org
My next tour was the Southeast Community Center in Bay City. I was intrigued by this project as it was designed by the architectural staff of the city as opposed to soliciting proposals from various firms. This was a departure from their typical duties in the building, planning and zoning organization of the city. They did a nice job creating a community center, daycare facility and public park, as well as integrating with the diversity of the neighborhood. They also had to deal with the challenges of meeting budgets and public scrutiny in the process. My final and favorite tour was of the SF State University Student Union Building, completed in 1968 and designed by Paffard Keatinge-Clay, who spent a small amount of time working for both Frank Lloyd Wright and LeCorbusier. I believe you can see their influence on him. Paffard did not win this commission the first time around, as the original firm selected for the project got removed in the political scheme of things and opened the door for his second shot at the project. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic project that captures your attention both inside and out with exquisite concrete detailing and symbolic representations that still resonate strongly today. I expect that A’24 in Washington, D.C., will prove to have an equally impressive set of tours, programs and keynote speakers to inspire those who attend. Save up and take some well-deserved time off. San Francisco City Hall — Dome Colonade at Dome Southeast Community Center Southeast Community Center — Lobby SF State University Student Union Bldg. 1 Pivot Entry Door Whale Bone Sculpture 21
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