From Fridayโs Desk
Though not nearly as jazzy or lyrical as NPRโs Tiny Desk series, join me every Friday as we take conversation to action - highlighting tangible and meaningful engagement across the profession of architecture.
From Friday's Desk.. Week 01 | Amplifying Impact, Deepening Value
AIA New Mexico's four year efforts to update rate schedules set in 1985 not only successfully passed - changing not just fee percentages but definition of architect's value across the state (more here - https://lnkd.in/giutFzbJ and cheers to the great conversation Dillon Romero, AIA NCARB and Justin "JD" Milburn!).
AIA Georgia and Deirdre "Dee" Leclair, AIA, NCARB have been authoring code proposals for years.
These are tangible and local engagements - yet also questions, challenges, and value of the profession being asked and transformed everywhere.
Whether New Mexico, Washington, Hawaii, Georgia, Florida, and beyond - I see an organization and ecosystem in the AIA where local impacts and lessons learned are connected, resources are shared, and our impact advances big initiatives collectively.
Amplified local action. Shared, connected communities and knowledge. Collective impact.
Letโs keep building itโtogether.
___________________________
Local. Connected. Collective.
AIA | by its members, for its members and our communities.
From Fridayโs Desk |
From Fridayโs Desk |
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ธ.. ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐ฌ๐ฎ | ๐๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ
AI is not just a buzz word. Anthropic recently released a report mapping which professions AI could potentially replace - sparking conversations across industries about disruption, displacement, and what work will look like in the years ahead. The framing is familiar: what jobs are at risk? What roles will AI absorb?
But I think architects have the opportunity to ask a different - and better -question.
Practice has always been in motion. The architect's role has never been static. We are exceptionally equipped to work at the intersection of space, policy, technology, and community. This is the ecosystem architects belong and contribute to at every scale.
So though AI may be one of the vehicle's calling architects to inhabit this ecosystem more fully - how is this more impactfully the opportunity to continue to lead a practice and world in motion?
Evolving practice is an invitation to lead.
Let's keep building, together.
______________________________
Local. Connected. Collective.
AIA | by its members, for its members and our communities.
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ต-๐๐ข๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ.
๐ฉ๐ต๐ต๐ฑ๐ด://๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ.๐ด๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฐ๐บ๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ป.๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ/๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ด๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฌ
Join every Friday these next few weeks from my Friday desk! Whether in Dallas, Texas or wherever "desk" may be - we will dig into not just conversation but tangible and meaningful engagement and impact.
Check out the next post for where this first week takes us "from Friday's desk"!
In case you were not able to attend AIA Leadership Summit in DC last month, there is a great recap from AIA Colorado on Hill Day and top legislative priorities for the AIA - https://lnkd.in/gSJNxkdK - and would love to encourage everyone to spend a minute beginning to get to know the candidates for the AIA Board of Directors - https://lnkd.in/gXXi86a9.
___________________________
Local. Connected. Collective.
AIA | by its members, for its members and our communities.
Introducing From Fridayโs Desk Series
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ธ... ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐ฌ๐ฏ | ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
What's working in your backyard is changing the profession.
Over the last four years, leading the Align Mentorship Program and beginning a mentorship toolkit completed by Seth Duke and Kumi Wickramanayaka, AIA, LEED AP - taught me something beyond mentorship itself: when a model of connection and resourcing is built with intention, it doesn't just solve the problem it was built for. ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ.
The AIA recently launched a national mentorship platform (https://lnkd.in/geDmDQkV) doing exactly this - connecting members and components to programs and resources across the country. It might seem like a stretch to link mentorship to advocacy and impact of architects in public awareness, business acumen, or digital fluency. But that's the point. The same architecture of connection applies everywhere the profession is being asked to grow.
When processes and approaches that work in one backyard get connected - locally, nationally, internationally - we stop solving the same problems in isolation and start building something collective.
So I'll ask: what challenge are you facing in your own corner of practice that, if the system began to operate differently, could move the needle?
______________________________
Local. Connected. Collective.
AIA | by its members, for its members and our communities.
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ต-๐๐ข๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ.
๐ฉ๐ต๐ต๐ฑ๐ด://๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ.๐ด๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฐ๐บ๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ป.๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ/๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ด๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฌ
From Fridayโs Desk |
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ธ... ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐ฌ๐ฐ | ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ
What does it look like when an architect shows up not just as a designer, but as a neighbor?
When I served on the local Atlanta-Edgewood zoning committee, the city was in the early stages of citywide zoning reform and our neighborhood's comprehensive development plan was overdue for renewal. An architect and architect/developer (massive recognition to Jessika Nelson and her work in development and affordable housing) were often the two people on the committee both representing as neighbors and advocating for how our small part of the city was continuing to be ๐ด๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐บ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฅ. The conversations were not always easy. We were hearing our neighbors, their real concerns and lived experiences, while also translating what we could as practitioners - and doing all of that as neighbors ourselves, genuinely committed to how our community was shaped.
This is the kind of work that shapes our communities - in housing, in policy, and beyond. It advances public awareness of what architects do, deepens trust between the profession and the communities we serve, and quietly reshapes what value means in practice.
Health. Safety. Welfare. These are not just words in our professional practice and licensure framework. They are the invitation to how the profession engages and shows up.
The profession's value is not just built in the projects we deliver. ๐๐'๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ โ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ช๐ฏ? ๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ?
Let's keep shaping, together.
____________________________________________________________________
Local. Connected. Collective.
AIA | by its members, for its members and our communities.
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ต-๐๐ข๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ. ๐ฉ๐ต๐ต๐ฑ๐ด://๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ.๐ด๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฐ๐บ๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ป.๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ/๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ด๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฌ
From Fridayโs Desk |
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ธ | ๐๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ
Todayโs view from Mondayโs desk looked a bit different. It started with some work, an on site client meeting - and quiet reminders from 30,000โ in the air.
I had a moment to reflect to a question asked earlier this year by an architect and AIA member in Colorado - ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ?
Just as my day started quietly, these are quiet and sometimes unspoken forces that move the profession of architecture. They donโt often take center stage in LinkedIn posts, in board of directors candidacy, or in business acumen spaces - yet are an essential piece of the ๐๐ซ๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐.
And there are so many facets that layer into wellbeing and retention. Within engagement across the Institute, this has centered around bringing these into the light and dialogue.
- Amplifying wellbeing, tangible tools and resources during my time as Chair of the AIA Young Architects Forum (https://lnkd.in/gu8eN8-F).
- Connecting the financial literacy work Erin Agdinaoay, AIA, NOMAand WPA (https://lnkd.in/gnarG-XG) are engaged in with Kathleen McCormickand salary transparency efforts at AIA25 in Boston.
- Understanding parallel challenges and evolution contractors are engaged in to support retention in the midst of even more severe labor shortages during time as a part of the AIA-AGC Joint Committee.
However, itโs also the quieter ways I have seen shifts generate evolution.
- Reviewing schedule with entire project teams, not only confirming alignment but ensuring collective input in the process and trajectory
- Building trust with clients to navigate open conversations on value, timeline, and realistic hours in a day
- Modeling open communication with teams, recognizing the full breadth of our lived experiences and that we are impacted by life far beyond the โwallsโ of a workday
Today is ending as it began - from 30,000โ in the air - heading from coast to coast not for project meetings but to run as a team member of Sayless Projects in The Speed Project. Wellbeing is not only a practice within the profession, but for me extends and is modeled far beyond.
As the profession continues to evolve, as value of architects continues to expand and deepen, I am committed to not only evolution through our business models, public engagement, and practice - but to an evolution supportive of the people engaged within it.
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Local. Connected. Collective.
AIA | by its members, for its members and our communities.
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ต-๐๐ข๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ. ๐ฉ๐ต๐ต๐ฑ๐ด://๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ.๐ด๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฐ๐บ๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ป.๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ/๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ด๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฌ