ArchiTypes – Summer 2012

Now Is Not the Time to Idle the Motor: Architecture IS an Economic Engine

Judson A. Kline, FAIA, LEED AP
AIA Ohio President

As my year as AIA Ohio President has reached its mid-point, I would like to continue to share ideas focused on the theme of the year promoting “Architecture IS an Economic Engine” and to be instrumental and inspirational for this to take place. As you may recall from the March Newsletter article, I highlighted twelve strategies to help us reinforce the theme:
1. Promoting the value of architects
2. Educating our members in the skills to become the trusted advisor
3. Strengthening our diversity
4. Promoting collaboration within the profession and beyond.
5. Recognizing the value of community service as a worthy endeavor.
6. Expanding the domains of practice.
7. Building the next generation
8. Developing leadership and investing it within our communities.
9. Legislative engagement
10. Celebrating success
11. Honoring the past
12. Envisioning the future.

In identifying the 12 strategies reinforcing the theme, I discussed the first three focused upon our desire for identity, value, integrity and the character of the profession in the March Newsletter. This month, I offer thoughts on the next three strategies of collaboration, service and practice domains.

1. Promoting collaboration within the profession and beyond demands we become more collegial and cooperative with one another reaching out and including other professionals to help us enhance our capabilities in serving our clients, the profession and our communities. I was once told by a rather perceptive chapter executive, “When doctors learn something new, they publish it and share it with colleagues. However, when architects learn something new, they put it in a drawer and hide it”. We must do better than this if we have any hope of becoming the valued resources and trusted advisors we need to be in producing the economic and social benefit we certainly can provide. We need to share practice strategies, business models, technology and building knowledge. The best way to achieve this goal is through dialogue and shared learning opportunities. To this end, AIA Ohio produces the annual convention to facilitate a forum to realize this potential. The convention in Cleveland in September will be the platform to build on our shared knowledge, interact with colleagues and network with allied professionals. Building our value begins with expanding our visible knowledge base. Let’s begin through “Carpe Convention”, seizing the convention and using this opportunity to build our knowledge and strengthening the bonds between us as professionals in making a bigger contribution to our practices, profession and community through a collaboration of colleagues.

2. Service offers us an opportunity to build our practices and our value as members of the communities we serve. There is a need for architects to step up and become leaders of service endeavors arising from a shift in the available talent pool of resources. In the past, community leaders turned to the corporate organizations within their cities and towns to undertake the responsibility of husbanding civic projects. With the departure of many of the locally based corporations, a void in community leadership has occurred. This void provides opportunity for a new civic leader to emerge and architects are uniquely positioned to answer the call. Furthermore, the need for talented, creative involvement to address complex issues and challenging situations perfectly suits the skill set possessed by architects. In a socially diverse environment, having participation by a group accustomed to sorting out solutions from various interests is essential to achieve the desired result.

There are both internal and external business benefits derived from involvement in community service. External benefits to community activism are derived from the relationships developed in the community and how architects are perceived. Architects can be seen as leaders building trust and legitimacy. They demonstrate character fundamental to practice. The architect has a free opportunity to illustrate professional capability and how they can be good resources. Through community involvement, the opportunity is afforded to associate with quality potential clients who will observe the abilities of architects as creative participants. It also serves to define practice, differentiating from others and attracting both clients and staff. The internal benefits of community service including: building an “esprit de corps”, molding teams and character, providing a level of satisfaction and pride, enhancing the lives of the participants and increasing commitment to the firm. Through the simple act of taking on responsibility for these endeavors, future firm leaders emerge and are incubated.

3. We own a knowledge domain that has significant value and we need to exploit its potential to be the architects of our own future. The process we engage every day in our endeavors has been discovered in the business community. The value of the design process in solving complex problems is so clear, the Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Business has embarked on the development of a program and curriculum to teach MBA’a and engineers to “manage by design”. This program is now offered as a study providing design resources for businesses consulting. Dr. Fred Collopy, professor of information systems and the leader of the Management by Design program, has been invited to keynote the AIA Ohio Convention to help us grasp the magnitude and power of this process. With this understanding, we can better and more broadly define services we can provide for clients and communities. This is our domain and a future for our professions, if we choose to embrace it.

In the next issue, I will add to the discussion on the themes of building the next generation, leadership development and legislative engagement. As we have progressed through the year, I have sought ways to reinforce these themes through proactive activities or programs as noted. These endeavors will point the way to being the “Architects of our own future”. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the value of AIA Ohio in making a difference in the future of our profession.

Architects Board Announces Revisions to Sealing Process

The Ohio Architects Board announces that sealing procedures for Architects have been modified effective July 1, 2012.

Beginning in July, architects must include their printed name, license number and license expiration date below the seal when stamping drawings or other documents.

It is not required or necessary to purchase a new seal. The new information can be incorporated into the title block.

The Board anticipates that architects will be less likely to practice on a lapsed license when they are required to include the license expiration date on the title page. In addition, requiring a printed name below the seal will eliminate problems with legibility and identification of the licensee.

Example:

John Doe, License #00000

Expiration Date 12/31/2013

As a reminder:

• All documents prepared by the licensed architect shall be sealed.
• Only the title sheet of a set of plans must be signed and sealed.
• Corporate or firm seals are not permitted in Ohio.
• Only one name may appear on a seal.
• The signature appearing over the tips of the seal may be “wet” or electronic.
• Seals may be electronic, metal embossed or rubber stamp.

A copy of the seal rule and Frequently Asked Questions about seals and sealing can be found on the Ohio Architects Board website at http://arc.ohio.gov/SealsSealings.aspx

Congratulations to the 2012 recipients of the AIA Ohio Foundation Scholarships:

From the University of Cincinnati – Jennifer Colley

From The Ohio State University – Jeff Anderson

From Kent State University – Claire Markwardt

And pictured below, from Miami University, (left to right) – Liz Nahrup, Sam Toland, and Jen Cahill