AIA HOUSTON 2016 END OF YEAR REPORT The Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIAH) and Architecture Center Houston (ArCH) are moving in Spring 2017. Looking to the long-term stability of our two organizations, we are purchasing almost 8,000SF of space in the historic 1906 B.A. Riesner Building located at 900 Commerce St. in the heart of Houston’s original downtown just steps from Allen’s Landing, the site of Houston’s founding. The space consists of an approximately 5,400SF store- front space on the corner of Travis and Commerce and an approximately 2,200SF boiler room building located behind the storefront. Murphy Mears Architects was selected to design the new center through a competitive process. AIA HOUSTON 2016 END OF YEAR REPORT 2016 MEMBERSHIP TRENDS AS SO C IA T E M E M B E R S S R E E M B E M R E I M T U T S C E T I H C R A PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATES CONTINUING EDUCATION GALA The 2016 Celebrate Architecture Gala raised funds for the Houston Architecture Foundation, as well as granted the opportunity to recognize esteemed members of AIA Houston. Gala chair Caryn Ogier, AIA spearheaded the event with the theme Rendezvous Houston. The event had record attendance, with over 900 people in attendance and raising over $300,000. 2016 AIA President David Bucek addressed the party to announce the year’s Firm of the Year Award winner and Ben Brewer Young Architect Award winner: StudioMET Architects and Brett Zamore, AIA. Musical guest The Swatchmen played into the night, fueling the dance party and auction revelers. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS • Raised over $300,000 • Over 900 in attendance • Ben Brewer Young Architect Award: Brett Zamore, AIA • Firm of the Year: StudioMET Architects HEALTH SES EVENT HIGHLIGHTS GULF COAST GREEN AIA Sandcastle Competition Saturday August 20,2016 East Beach, Galveston Island AIA Sandcastle was rained out on Saturday June 3 and was rescheduled for August 20. Thanks to a record number of sponsors, we still managed to have a financially successful event even though we incurred many budgeted expenses twice. Kirksey took home the Golden Bucket for the second year in a row while HDR captured the Sydney LeNoir Public Favorite Award and the Prairie View A&M won the College Challenge. Texas Adopt A Beach , Galveston Bay Foundation and several Boy Scout troops joined us in our efforts to reduce our impact on the environment and educate the public. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS • 46 of the original 66 registered teams competed on August 20 • 42 Sponsors • $53k raised for AIA and ArCH Foundation HOME TOUR The 2016 Home Tour featured nine homes created by eight residential architecture firms. The 2016 Tour was attended by over 1,500 people. The Tour was widely lauded by local media sources. Media sources include: Houston Chronicle, CultureMap Houston, Houstonia Magazine, Swamp Lot, Paper City Magazine, Modern Luxury Texas, Houston House and Home Magazine, and the Houston Press. AIA HOUSTON 2016 END OF YEAR REPORT DESIGN AWARDS The AIA Houston Design Awards program recognizes design excellence in architecture, residential architecture, interior architecture, restoration/renovation, and urban design. Criteria to be used by the jury include quality of design, resolution of the program idea, sustainable responsibility, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique. See the winners or purchase the 2016 Design Awards catalog at aiahouston.org Government Affairs & TAC The Government Affairs committee serves as advocates to the Texas legislature regarding issues affecting the practice of architecture and the built environment. In 2016, AIA Houston raised $22,096 for the Texas Architects Committee (TAC), leveraging the collective voice of our members to advocate on behalf of the profession. SOCIAL EVENTS • Dinner with Mayor Sylvester Turner • BOWL-A-TAC • A very successful annual fundraising event • 23 competing teams from local architecture, engineering, and construction firms AIA HOUSTON 2016 END OF YEAR REPORT HOLIDAY PARTY AIA Houston honors a Houston architect at its annual holiday party by donating an architect designed object to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. The 2015 holiday party took place on December 8, in Cullinan Hall at the MFAH. This year’s event honored Jim Furr, FAIA with the addition of E.W. Godwin’s 1880 Tea Table to the museum’s collection. A listing and images of past acquisitions can be found at aiahouston.org/mfahacquisitions. GINGERBREAD BUILD-OFF Over 3,000 spectators attended the 8th annual Gingerbread Build-Off. 18 teams competed for awards and bragging rights, while droves of children created their own structures in the Kids Construction Zone. The event featured sweets, friendly competition, and an appearance by Santa Claus. Brave / Architecture took the Grand Prix de Show with their minimal landscape composed of colored fondant. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS • 18 participating teams • Over 3,000 in attendance • Raised 5,000 in sponsorships • Diverted over 550 lbs of food waste to compost Judges: • Tom Ba r row, P. E, I. A. Naman + Associates President, Architecture Center Houston • Sarah Darro Houston Center for Contemporary Craft • Kathleen Morgan Honey Child's Sweet Creams • Tino Ramirez Candylicious & The Chocolate Bar AIA Annual Meeting & Affiliate Appreciation Party October 19, 2016 Architecture Center Houston AIA Houston membership met on October 19 to elect new members and officers to the Board of Directors for 2017 and hand out Chapter Honor Awards and Presidential Citations. Honorees Include • Civic Vision: Mary Anne Piacentini, Katy Prairie Conservancy • Citation of Honor: The Hermann Park Conservancy & Houston Parks Board • Educator of the Year: Sarah Whiting, Assoc. AIA, Dean , Rice School of Architecture • Artist of the Year: Patrick Renner • Associate Member of the Year: Ashley Heitmeier, Assoc. AIA • Affiliate Firm of the Year: La Nova Tile •Presidential Citations: Ashley Heitmeier, Assoc. AIA, Ricardo Martinez, AIA, Luisina Basilico, AIA, Anthony Furino, Assoc. AIA, and Caryn Ogier, AIA. Interior Architecture Committee AIA Houston Interior Architecture Committee hosted the first annual Interior Architecture Tour in September. Four Houston architecture firms, DLR Group, Gensler, Page and PDR, all located downtown were toured with a special emphasis on exploring the practice of Interior Architecture. Urban Design Committee In 2016, the AIA Urban Design Committee partnered with the City of Houston Planning & Development Department to initiate an going series of open conversations about city code and our built environment. The first of which focused on parking and walkability. AIA Houston brought other community partners to this discussion, including the ASLA, APA, RDA , ULI and some real estate developers. The AIA Houston Urban Design Committee mission statement: IDENTIFY issues at an urban scale affecting the development, growth and the quality of life in Houston. Keeping sustainability at the center of our focus. EDUCATE our members and the greater community about these issues. SUPPORT and COLLABORATE by bringing the design expertise of our members to the community through charrettes, competitions and other partnerships with non- profit and government organizations. COMMUNICATE with elected officials about these issues along with our vision, solutions and strategies. Kids & Architecture AIA Houston Kids & Architecture Committee focuses on architectural themed education programs for students in elementary and middle school. The committee also volunteers to assist the MGMC committee at their programs. In 2016, Kids & Architecture partnered with Citizen Schools at Yolanda Black Navarro Middle School and Sugar Grove Academy to teach architecture in a 10 week after school program in the Fall semester. The committee hosted it’s annual Merit Badge Workshop in August and hosted 3 successful sketching classes. Additionally, the committee provided career day speakers for schools throughout the Greater Houston area including Owens Intermediate School, Becker Early Childhood Center, Lawhon Elementary, and Mendell Elementary School. AIA Members also volunteered with the Houston Hispanic Forum Career Fair at the George R Brown Convention Center in February of 2016, offering bilingual career presentations about architecture. Historic Resources Committee AIA Houston continued their partnership with the William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library at the University of Houston to collect the oral histories of people who strongly impacted the built environment in the Houston Area. Architects, developers, scholars and philanthropists discuss their work, projects, and the influences that shaped Houston. Each subject is interviewed by an architect or architectural scholar who frames the discussion and provides context. New content is being collected and added each year. Interviews posted online include: • Gerald D. Hines • John Staub • Eugene Aubry • John Zemanek • Elinor Evans • Barry Moore • Stayton and Ila Nunn • Joe Colaco •Raymond Brochstein The Historic Resources Committee also participated in hosting the National trust for Historic Preservation’s national conference in Houston, November 15 – 18. Members helped in hosting events and leading tours. Walking & Bicycle Tours Architecture Center Houston offers 9 Walking and 2 bicycle tours Saturday mornings and some Thursday evenings September though May. ArCH Tours are lead by trained docents working with scripts researched and written by architects, historians and preservationists. 2016 Tour s : Downtown Towers & Trees Downtown Buffalo