Daniel Roth, Associate AIA
AIA Salem Director
Share Your Ideas
When I stepped into my role as AIA Salem’s Section Director in 2019, our organization was in the midst of some massive changes, moving from smaller, local chapters to one statewide parent organization. For the smaller chapters, such as Salem, this meant that we could lean on more statewide support and programming in order to get key continuing education credits and more activities to join in on. As the new AIA Oregon was starting to get its structure and foundation settled, the pandemic hit, and everyone was forced to transition to virtual environments and collaborating remotely.
From my vantage point, I would say that the staff and volunteers closely involved with AIA Oregon did an amazing job making this transition as smooth as it could be given the circumstances. Virtual programming became the norm, and ongoing events such as the Digital Design Series, Thursday Roundtable, and Urban Design Panel allowed for members to tune in on a weekly basis, receive educational content, and, perhaps most importantly, see other people in the profession and their ongoing work in our communities.
These programs have been great, but as we start to see restrictions eased and in-person events on the horizon, we need your help and involvement. Throughout this COVID-19 saga, the overwhelming majority of these events have been inspired and curated by a very limited number of staff members and section and committee leaders, and we only have so many ideas to share with our members. As professional problem solvers, this group of AIA members in Oregon is chock full of ideas to share with others, or potential solutions for issues in our everyday built environments.
Here’s a personal example/idea that I’ve been working on: currently in Salem, the issue of homelessness has come to a head, and the associated problems and public resentment are growing. I have been racking my brain to think about how AIA Salem/AIA Oregon could step into the situation and use our expertise in design and community building to enact some positive change. What if there was a way for the AIA to organize an event or charrette that could pull experts from fields such as architecture, social work, and planning to come up with solutions to transition people away from homelessness. This event could even invite members of the City to participate, and the conversations and solutions generated by this event could fuel future action and collaboration. I alone don’t feel qualified or capable to undertake an event of this magnitude by myself, but I could look to find other AIA members who are passionate and willing to volunteer, and then work with the AIA staff to promote/share/organize the event.
You may be in a similar situation, where you see an issue in your community or want to organize an event or group of people on a topic you are passionate about. Let the AIA help. We want to hear your ideas, and then work with you and other AIA members to help empower your passion. If you have an idea that you could use some help getting off the ground, we would love to work with you. Please feel free to reach out to your local Section Director, or a board or staff member. You can also email AIA Oregon staff directly at info@aiaoregon.org and a staff member would gladly work with you.
Daniel Roth
Section Director, AIA Salem