AIA Seattle 2016 Annual Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
AIA Seattle 2016 Annual Report Contents Letter from the Executive Director + President 2 Vision I: Society 4 Vision II: Profession 7 Vision III: Membership 10 Vision IV: Organization + Financials 13 Corporate Allied Parners 14 Staff + Board of Directors 15 AIA Seattle Executive Director Lisa Richmond and 2015-2016 President Mary Johnston 2 A year of transformation AIA Seattle illustrates the power we have to make positive change in our profession, our city and the nation when we come together with shared purpose. 3 2016 was a year of transformation for An elevated public profile aided our the lowering of dues for all members in AIA Seattle. With the opening of the advocacy efforts in 2016 on a range of our state. As a part of the restructuring, new Center for Architecture & Design, issues from affordable housing to design AIA Northwest Washington merged we have entered a new era of public review to carbon taxes. We successfully to become a section of AIA Seattle, engagement, demonstrating the value defeated an initiative to undo plans for streamlining overhead and combining of architectural thinking to our thriving our central waterfront, and engaged resources, while allowing members in community. public officials in conversations about the Northwest section to host their own urban design. Hiring a new staff position programs, awards and member events. When the Center opened in early dedicated to advocacy will grow this 2016, we hoped to create a place of work in 2017. As we move into the uncertainty of 2017, engagement, learning and influence, we are poised to make an impact and where members and the public would Our robust peer-to-peer professional prepared to adapt and thrive. come together around the idea that education continued in 2016, with “Design Matters”. In its first few months, new programming on urban housing, Thank you to our members, volunteers the Center has exceeded our hopes and sustainable and healthy building and sponsors for demonstrating the dreams, attracting an extraordinarily materials and industry business models. critical relevance of architecture and diverse audience and putting design Member committees — including two design. AIA Seattle illustrates the power squarely on the city’s radar. new active committees: Committee on we have to make positive change in our Architecture in Education and Seattle profession, our city and the nation when Thousands of visitors enjoyed Center International Architecture Forum — we come together with shared purpose. exhibits in 2016, and almost 30,000 produced an exciting range of programs people attended last year’s Seattle and events. Design Festival. Media coverage of AIA Seattle programs and issues has A significant accomplishment in also been robust, with more than 40 2016 was the restructuring of AIA placements in print, radio and TV last Washington Council, which supported Lisa Richmond Mary Johnston year. a laser focus on state advocacy and Executive Director 2015-2016 President Seattle Design Festival Block Party — ICE CUBE by Olson Kundig 4 Vision I: Society AIA Seattle is the leading credible voice for quality design and the built environment. Center for Architecture & Design the public benefits of change, while celebration around the Sound Transit In partnership with Seattle Architecture empowering those communities most Link Station and plaza; and the Step it Foundation, Design in Public and AIA impacted by that change. Programs, Up! installations and day of musicians, Washington Council, the new Center for tours, exhibits and installations dancers, and performers on the Harbor Architecture & Design opened in early investigated and celebrated the role of Steps organized by GGLO evoked public 2016. The Center not only demonstrates design in an evolving place. The Festival connection through design. and engages the public in a dialogue ran for 14 days, and included a 2-day about the value of architecture and Block Party, a free conference, and a design, it also creates a place to wide array of programs, tours, exhibits, Seattle Design Festival showcase our membership and a space workshops and installations across the 103 Programs for our members to utilize for casual city. gatherings, meetings and programming. During our first year of operation, the Community partners’ events explored Center has had an average of 600 a variety of perspectives, speaking visitors a month. to the fact that people from all walks Seattle Design Festival of life can design change and take 130 Program Partners Seattle Design Festival an active role in creating their best Design in Public was founded in environment. Highlights included: a 2011 as a strategic initiative of AIA packed-house lecture produced by Civilization with graphic designer/ Seattle. Design in Public hosts the Seattle Design Festival city-wide Seattle Design Festival. The illustrator Emory Douglas on how design 30,000 Attendees 2016 Festival theme, Design Change, can activate communities; Mount Baker proposed that design can maximize Hub’s Transforming an Intersection “By creating a broader sense of ownership in the design process, Design in Public empowers citizens to influence design decisions that significantly impact our city.” Sam Miller AIA 5 Advocacy Promoting Good Housing Promoting Carbon Pricing Defeating a Regressive Options for All Incomes Carbon tax proposals were a key focus of Waterfront Initiative In 2016, our Public Policy Board (PPB) the PPB in 2016. AIA Seattle endorsed After many years of advocacy on a great turned its attention to the need for more, Initiative 732, and convened a program central waterfront for all, the PPB led and better designed, housing for our about carbon pricing and cap and a collaborative effort to defeat a new growing city. PPB members spoke at trade schemes at the Center. Recently, elevated park proposal, Initiative 123. events, educated members, met with PPB members have been involved with PPB members wrote the dissenting City Council and placed articles and evolving discussions in Olympia about a opinion in the voter pamphlet, hosted opinion pieces in local publications. legislative approach to creating a price an event at the Center and got out the for carbon in our state. member vote. “Architects are especially adept at understanding, communicating and resolving complex and contradictory conditions and, as such, are well suited to advocate for solutions to the myriad challenges we collectively face. The AIA Seattle membership embodies the knowledge to advocate on behalf of a broad range of issues including the environment, social justice and the power of design to improve lives for all.” Rick Mohler AIA FitNation exhibit at the Center for Architecture & Design 6 Exhibits In 2016 AIA Seattle produced three “The Center’s gallery is positioned at the intersection successful exhibits at the Center. The goal of our exhibits is to demonstrate of industry level and public discourse related to our the value and relevance of excellent design at all scales, and engage visitors changing city and region. Anybody asking questions to explore design as a tool in everyday about the nature of change and growth has a claim life. The Center’s audience is a mix of the design-interested public, children to this new forum for ideas and innovation.” and families, visitors to Seattle, design Aletheia Wittman, BOOM: Changing Seattle co-curator consumers and design professionals, academics, critics and industry leaders at the forefront of design professions. Living Small: BOOM: Changing Seattle Exhibits, lectures, films and other Ideas for Living in the City Produced by Design in Public in programs attract a wide range of public 2015 Emerging Professionals Travel partnership with Seattle Architecture visitors who are interested in design and Scholarship recipient, Garrett Reynolds Foundation, BOOM: Changing Seattle its impact on our city. AIA, presented his research on was a tribute to places lost, preserved micro-housing. Garrett traveled to and desired during moments of rapid FitNation, AIA Seattle’s first exhibit at Copenhagen, New York, Stockholm and development and growth in Seattle. the Center, highlighted strategies that Tokyo to explore what other growing This multidisciplinary exhibition make our environment more conducive cities can teach us about housing for our incorporated archival and recent photos, to healthier lifestyles. Architecture and future. His research questioned how to documents and contemporary art to design have become part of the national design tomorrow’s dwellings to match position history and memory as integral discussion on the obesity and chronic the evolving ways in which we are living to innovation. Four rapidly changing disease epidemic in the United States. in cities today – Is small a viable option? Seattle neighborhoods – Ballard, the FitNation presented projects, both local Can smaller spaces make for better living? Central District, South Lake Union, and national, that exemplify design and SODO – grounded themes of approaches and simple improvements transformation, memory, culture and which contribute to a healthier lifestyle speculations on the future of the city. for individuals and communities. Jurors Anna Dyson and Mimi Hoang AIA at the Honor Awards for Washington Architecture 7 Vision II: Profession AIA Seattle is the recognized leader for knowledge about the practice and profession of architecture. Honor Awards for Washington Awards of Honor Conceptual Award Architecture Northwood Elementary School Civil War Memorial The 2016 Honor Awards