SAVE THE DATES

January 15th- Chapter Meeting – 1 LU
       How to Gain Recognition for Your Projects
       Presented by Constructive Communication
       Members $15, interns $5, non members $25
       11:30 – 1:00 venue TBA

February 12th Sponsor Seminar
       “Effective Ways to Get an Architect’s Attention”
       9:00 – 10:30
       Alabama Power (600 N 18th St Bldg)
       Free to all sponsors who have paid their sponsorship fee by February 8th, 2008
       There will be a panel of 4 architects, Mediator will be Pat Conrad

February 20-23 GrassRoots Conference, National AIA

February 26th – Chapter Meeting
       Announce the Design Competition Winner’s
       Venue & Speaker TBA

March 11th - Sponsorship Appreciation Luncheon
       Venue TBA

AIA Holiday PaRtY – 5 TOP REMARKS of the PaRtY
click for photo gallery

This food is delicious!
This sure is a long line for such a short drink.
Boy, they have a great beer selection and the liquor is nice too!
This sure is a long line for such a short drink.
I hope Bill Camp gives someone else a chance to win a door prize!

Ty Cole presents B.A.F with $1000 check

Do you Need ONE More TAX Deduction in 2007?
Do you or your firm need one more small or large tax deduction for 2007?

Remember the Birmingham Architectural Foundation is a 501(c ) 3 non-profit organization and your contribution is 100% tax deductible. 

You can even designate your monies to: scholarships, dreamArchitecture, studio I or operating expenses.

The Birmingham Architectural Foundation awarded two $1,000 scholarships in 2007 and we hope to increase those scholarships in 2008. 

Thank you for a great year in 2007 and we look forward to working with the AIA in 2008.

Things You Need to KNOW in 2008

AIA Birmingham will offer more HSW’s in 2008 and more “GREEN” topics. There will be some months we will have two chapter meetings. We understand some members have scheduling conflicts on Tuesdays, therefore additional meetings will be held on a different day of the week.

If members, non-members, interns or sponsors RSVP for a chapter meeting, seminar or any other AIA event and do not cancel 3 days prior of the event, you will be invoiced for that event (to cover the lunch cost). AIA Birmingham does not make any profit off of our chapter meetings.

AIA Birmingham will try to offer at least one FREE HSW CHAPTER MEETING.

AIA will be partnering with other organizations in 2008 to bring better programs for our members.

Thank you AIA for a great 2007!
We look forward to working with you in 2008.
Cementry, Inc.

Thank YOU Cementry for Hosting our November Chapter Meeting

AIA members, you did a great job getting dirty at the meeting. Above are photos of your finished projects. Thank you for a great attendance! You guys are the best!

Is Your FIRM TAGGED?
The AIA office receives several calls per week requesting information on architect firms and who to use. Since our Executive Director works for all 357 members, she directs callers to the AIA Birmingham website to FIND AN ARCHITECT. If your firm is not listed, please go to National AIA’s website and fill out the firm profile. After you have completed the firm profile, email aiabirm@aiabham.org and let Rhea know she needs to TAG your firm in the REED database. It takes 2 -3 weeks for your firm to show up after it has been tagged.

AIAforSHELTER Announces Design Competition
AIAforShelter is a committee of the Birmingham Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The goal of the committee is to work towards reducing the number of homeless people living on the streets of Birmingham and surrounding areas.
AIA Birmingham’s AIAforShelter committee is sponsoring a design competition for a single family affordable home on a vacant site in the Historic Norwood Neighborhood of Birmingham. The Norwood site is owned by Aletheia House, a non-profit organization that provides substance abuse treatment and support along with transitional housing. The purpose of the competition is to provide Aletheia House with an exemplary affordable, sustainable and livable, home design that fits in the neighborhood context. Aletheia House has funding to purchase three more sites and build three more affordable homes on them in the near future and as such the 2nd through 4th place entries in the competition may also be adapted to similar sites and their designers contracted with as well to produce the construction drawings. Cash prizes of $1000 and $500 will be awarded to 1st and 2nd place respectively, 3rd and 4th place designers will receive non-cash prizes and it will be the intent of Aletheia House to contract with each of the four designers to finalize the documents for their designs. The fee to enter is $75 for AIA members and $100 for non-members. For more information and registration please visit the competition website at www.aiabham.org/forshelter/introduction.html.

Architects –Physicians – Pharmacists – Doctorates - Attorneys
How often have you seen an architect’s name in the newspaper or heard them interviewed on the radio, TV and noticed they did not use the “AIA” designation with their name? AIA after your name announces to the public you are a licensed professional who upholds the highest standards of ethics and professional practice. It means you are a member of the AIA and you are dedicated to providing quality design, safeguarding the public and improving the build environment.
Help make others aware of AIA. AIA Birmingham wants to make the public aware of architects who are members of the American Institute of Architects.
Other professionals- doctors, attorneys, doctors of education – make this request and are very careful to include their professional designations with their names. It is our goal for architects to gain the respect and recognition in the professional community they deserve.

“Community in Alabama” – Just in Time for the Holidays
Alabama Architectural Foundation has the perfect Christmas gift for all your friends, family, employees and clients. As a part of the Alabama Architectural Foundation's campaign to improve public awareness of the importance of architecture, the Foundation has published a book including current and historical Alabama architecture, entitled Community in Alabama: Architecture for Living Together by Alice Bowsher, with photography by M. Lewis Kennedy. This book features a pictorial view of architecture statewide including over 150 original full color photographs. Written for a popular audience, it is an ideal gift for all readers interested in architecture, design, southern heritage, or Alabama.
Click here to let us know you would like a copy, and we will contact you.

Studio I November– One Man Sky Box Charret

 Studio I went to the Samford football game early on November 3rd to design a one man skybox. Students were given duct tape and cardboard. There were 10 students and 8 volunteers participating. Great job!

Thank you Aquatic Gardens for Hosting our “Green” Roof Top Seminar”

click for a photo gallery

Auburn Internship Fair
The Auburn Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) will be hosting its annual Internship Fair at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center in Auburn, Alabama, on the 11th and 12th of February 2008. The Auburn University AIAS Chapter would love to see your firm there!

Auburn students majoring in architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, community planning, industrial design and interior design will be available for interviews. Registration packets were mailed out a few days ago. If your firm has yet to receive a registration packet, you may email internshipfair@auburn.edu and the AIAS Chapter will send one to you. Early registration (postmark by January 1st) receives the discounted rate of $300 for registration [After 1 January, the fee is $350]. Registration ends 25 January 2008. Space is limited, so please register early. There is a block of rooms reserved at Auburn University Hotel at a discounted rate of $99/night (space, again, is limited). Firms are responsible for making their own arrangements through the Hotel.

Even if you cannot attend, you may still order a resume book for $20, in which every resume submission for all year-levels and majors is included.
Please email Jennifer Smith at internshipfair@auburn.edu with any questions.
 

LEED Prep Course
Alabama Chapter of the USGBC is offering a LEED Exam Prep Course.
If you plan on taking the LEED NC 2.2 Exam, this class will help prepare you to take the test.
When: Tuesday, January 8, 2008 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Alabama Power (600 N 18th St Bldg)
Cost: $200 ($250 after December 18) Space is Limited
Below is the class schedule. Lunch will be provided.

7:30 - 8:00 Registration and Breakfast
8:00 - 10:00 Introductions,
What is Green Building?
Benefits of Sustainable Design and Construction
Overview of LEED process
10:00 - 10:15 Morning Break
10:15 - 12:00 LEED Categories - Site and Water
 Site & Water in class exercise
12:00 - 12:45 Lunch
12:45 - 2:15 LEED Categories - Materials & Indoor Environmental Quality Pt. 1
2:15 - 2:30 Afternoon Break
2:30 - 4:30 LEED Categories - Indoor Environmental Quality Pt. 2
 Materials & IEQ in class exercise
 LEED Categories - Energy
4:30 - 5:00 Test Review

Please contact Ellen Hawley at ehawley@dadot.com for additional payment information.

Alabama Council Design Awards Gala
The Design Awards Gala will take place on Thursday, January 31st, 2008, at the beautiful Birmingham Country Club. For those of you wishing to stay in Birmingham on Thursday night so you can attend the First Quarterly Council Meeting on Friday morning, we have reserved a block of rooms at the Embassy Suites. You can call (205) 879-7400, and let the Embassy Suites know you are with the Alabama Council AIA to reserve your special price of $162. This is the first meeting of the 2008 year, and we encourage all new officers to attend.