Message from the AIA Oregon EVP/CEO

Heather Wilson
AIA Oregon EVP/CEO

No one cares about your cool

cri·tique /kriˈtēk/

noun
a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory.

verb
evaluate (a theory or practice) in a detailed and analytical way.

"the authors critique the methods and practices used in the research"

I wish there was a better word than “concurrent” to express the duality of a critique. A good critique is both noun and verb – it is a detailed analysis embedded inside an evaluation, an assessment of research. If delivered properly, it is the ultimate reflection; not just a mirror, but one handed to you, freshly cleaned off by a friend. Those who care deeply for one another would never let them leave the house disheveled; it is a deep love that abides at the center of critique, and I look forward to it every year of my professional life around this time. Not to be mistaken for criticism (disapproval expressed by pointing out shortcomings), critique comes from a place of assistance, not adjustment.

It’s design awards season, and I feel like these nuances between words matter during this time. I have enjoyed a privileged seat as an AIA Executive for the past several years, and that is to watch our AIA members grow and develop – sometimes from student to firm principal; and I get to watch their design acumen grow, change, and also develop. I applaud this profession for maintaining the time-honored practice of honest and genuinely respected critique, because it is an enriching experience. It takes a great deal of grit and determination (resilience, even?) to expose yourself to review that way. Our juries deliberate for hours – HOURS - with detailed discussion that teaches me something new about the practice of architecture and the people who choose to participate in it. Every. Single. Time.

I am also encouraged when I watch the discourse that comes with the design awards season. What IS good design? Well, I can tell you what it isn’t: it isn’t decoration. It isn’t art, per se; and it isn’t science, alone. It is a balance; it is a recognition that we can do both, because we know that form follows function. What we seek to dig out, through precedent research, through academic pursuit, through artistic representation, is the truth of the function: what purpose does this serve? It is not enough to be beautiful, where design is concerned. It is not really enough, just to be cool. In fact, I don’t care about your cool, and neither will your jury.

They’ll care about your story; how you solved a problem by marrying art, creativity, materials and expertise into an elegant solution that elevates the practice of architecture somehow; that advances the conversation of how we find the truth in every project to serve. I am especially excited this year because I will be introduced to all of you by way of your entered work, and I simply can’t wait to see it. I am looking forward to seeing what we’ve been able to produce in this extraordinary year, and I hope everyone able will participate. If you have any questions about this years’ process, please do not hesitate to reach out to AIAO Staff. Please keep an eye out for submission deadlines and event updates, and please submit your entries this year!

Message from the AIAO President-Elect

Kaley Fought, AIA
AIAO President-Elect

Facilities Update - Moda Center Suite

As many of you know, we are reaching the end of our lease at the CFA in Portland this year. In conjunction with the board, our Facilities Task Force reviewed and discussed the various options for staying in place or moving to a new location. Working remotely has allowed all of us to rethink the way we work, communicate, and socialize, and this mindset adjusted the lens through which we were reviewing spaces up for consideration. With this in mind, we are very excited to be taking up interim residence at a suite in the Rose Quarter.

Following a rather chaotic, and yet strangely isolated year of events, AIAO has decided to shake things up and leverage the current uncertainty as an opportunity to extend our reach. During the last 12 years at the Center for Architecture in the Pearl District, we have hosted numerous events, members, galleries and notable installations to share achievements in architecture and opportunities for education and connection with our peers and the public. The importance, and influence, of architecture and the spaces we choose to share in experience is always at the forefront of my mind, and I think it’s important for our physical location to be a place that facilitates our goals as an organization. The value in having a space to land for CEU opportunities, social gatherings, and architecturally relevant displays is, I believe, a critical component to a successful AIAO. We will have reservable access to the many well-appointed venues at the Rose Quarter, ranging from conference rooms to large event gathering spaces.

Each space is effectively ready to go with A/V, furniture, and catering, and allows easy access for members and staff via secured free parking and public transportation.

There are numerous factors and points of discussion that we have considered during the last year, and ultimately came to the conclusion that our current location and lease arrangement is no longer our best option. Rather than jumping immediately into a new lease and/or location, we have decided to spend the next few years exploring options, evaluating our needs as an organization, and gathering insight into how we will function moving forward. Financially, this move creates independence as we expect to recoup the cost of the lease through ticket sales. With our 3-year lease at the Rose Quarter, we will not have the financial burden of finding and building out a new space, while improving our ability to host in-person and broadcasted events. The ticket sales for the upcoming concert season are projected to be a net gain in our revenue over the next three years, placing us firmly on solid financial footing to explore a new space, or possibly several spaces around the state.

We have had ongoing conversations around how we can better position ourselves in the broader community so that we not only have a positive influence on the built environment, but also become a viable resource for community leaders and allied organizations. This location gives us an opportunity to reach new sponsors, broaden our public awareness through strategic marketing and events, and have an elevated platform to extend our reach. I’m excited for the unique approach this takes, and thrilled that Heather has come out of the gate with a new perspective on how we serve our members. It should be an engaging few years, and I’m looking forward to the shift!

Learn more about the Facilities Big Picture in Heather’s article for the July 22 T@3

Message from the Co-Chair of the Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Octavio Gutiérrez
Co-chair, AIA Oregon Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Reflecting on Mentorship

A few weeks ago, AIA Oregon’s Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CoEDI), the Architecture Foundation of Oregon (AFO) and NOMA PDX (Portland’s chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects) co-hosted a Community Connection Slam with the simple goal of bringing together three key groups in the spirit of supporting one another: organizations that provide design, engineering, and construction related programs to youth; service organizations that help students navigate these available programs; and members of the design community hoping to support both the programs and the program navigators. 

The Community Connection Slam was the first of what will be many (and long-overdue) inter-organizational conversations and collaboration around improving access to our profession, particularly for students from marginalized communities. The Slam left many of us inspired by all of the great work our collective design community is engaged in, and it left me with a deep sense of gratitude for the program providers and navigators I have encountered throughout my own personal career journey.  It also left me reflecting on all who have selflessly given their time to motivate, inspire, support, and mentor me along the way, and why I believe it’s imperative that we all pause to reflect on how we can pay this forward to the next generation(s) of architects.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when I started thinking about architecture as a career, but I suspect it was around 4th grade, and that a certain sitcom about a large blended family with an architect as “head of household” had something to do with it.  As the middle child in a family of seven siblings, I could somewhat relate to the big, happy family portrayed on TV.  However, peace in our home was contingent on brokering deals over limited space: our single story tract home always felt as though it was about to burst into chaos and warfare, and I saw design as a peacekeeping mission.  I thought about ways to arrange, and endlessly rearrange, spaces to maximize efficiency and create truces.   Short on resources, I would creatively reuse the blank side of any large paper bags I could find to draw up the next big peace plan.  

In junior high school, the idea of going to college was planted in my mind, and by the time I got to high school I was hopeful that a career in the architecture, engineering, or construction industry was in my future.  I didn’t have access to programs like the ACE Mentorship Program or Your Street Your Voice, and I can’t recall any of my peers at the time expressing interest in architecture, so I felt somewhat isolated in my interests.  As a first generation college student, I depended on my teachers and guidance counselors to help demystify the process of applying for college, financial aid, and scholarships; and I relied on them for a sense of security that this investment in time and limited resources was going to help me realize a still somewhat fuzzy career goal.   

By the spring of my senior year of high school, I started finding clarity in a possible career path.  Following the advice of my career counselor, I applied to a paid internship program that paired BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) college students interested in engineering or business administration with major corporations around the country.  I accepted an internship with the Los Angeles, California office of Turner Construction, and started working in the purchasing department the summer before my first semester of college.  Turner’s internship program connected me to some truly amazing mentors - all first generation college graduates whom I could see myself becoming one day. 

More impressively, my mentors and supervisors focused entirely on making sure that my internship would benefit me as an architecture student, going to such extraordinary lengths as driving me to visit various architect’s offices whose projects they were building (in LA traffic nonetheless!).  I returned to Turner every summer during my undergraduate architecture studies, rotating through the estimating department and field assignments, and Turner invited me back after graduation for a full-time position.  I left Turner for my graduate studies with a sense of self-confidence, a network of professionals, and an image of who I wanted to become. 

I share my lived experiences because I believe that architects have the power to inspire future generations of architects and uplift the communities we serve.Supporting the pipeline to the architecture profession has been a keystone of CoEDI’s mission since our committee’s founding.And we’re incredibly excited to be collaborating with the AFO and NOMA PDX to expand our reach and amplify our collective impact.If you are interested in learning more about supporting programs serving our youth, or joining our efforts, I invite you to reach out to me personally, join us at our monthly CoEDI meetings, or connect with us at a future AIA Oregon event.