And the winner is... Affordability

In this season of Grammys and Oscars, let's see what is shaking in the Architectural world.
I have been published again, with an article on affordability in the AIA National Institute Honor Awards. I was a judge and here is my effort to share some thoughts and lesson learned.

Enjoy!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When signing a contract with a client, the obligation for the architect is not to be perfect, but just potentially as messy as anybody else – the average architect. Despite that, when trying to win clients, architects need to present themselves as unique, more qualified than others, and the best in their specialty (which can lead to trouble through overselling their skills).

It takes a lot of effort to be an architect, so why be “average”?

Luckily, there is a dedicated structure, organized by the AIA National, allowing architects to showcase their extraordinary abilities.

Finally registered!

The best way to end a year is to look back and see the results of our hard work (and study).
I now want to look forward to new adventures, and if someone is thinking of starting the same endeavour I just finished, or keep working their way through the NCARB exams, here are some lessons learned I want to share.
You can read them on the AIA Pittsburgh online magazine eColumns.

Happy new year everybody!

Bea
- Finally Registered Architect

Sketch to Structure: For the people

Re-posting this article I wrote on the AIAPGH eColumns magazine, on how buildings take shape. It is the review of an exhibition at the Heinz Architectural Center, back in March 2015. Read the full article here.

The process of architecture is not linear, with much back and forth happening before getting to the built product. Nevertheless, Curator Alyssum Skjeie was able to capture interesting architectural moments – and deliver them to the public – with the Heinz Architectural Center’s latest exhibit ‘Sketch to Structure,’ a collection of drawings, sketches, and architectural models that show how architects work. “The goal is to keep it broad and accessible,” Skjeie points out as we start the visit together…

Architects who run

I have been published once more, on the online magazine of the AIA Pittsburgh!
You can read why Architects should run - and what they can learn.
Read it here .

Below: photos from one of my favorite runs, along the Mononghaela River, between Downtown and the South Side.

An Inclusive City, for All Ages

I am happy to announce that the AIA Pittsburgh magazine Columns has just published my work, once more! You can read my article about the talk Gil Penalosa gave at WESA here.

<< When asked about addressing how to engage people who don’t want change, Penalosa explains what has worked for him: “Do honest consultation with people. Make meetings that are easy to attend, for time and location. Make sure to reach the right targets in the population: all the ages. Listen, listen, listen!” Penalosa says there are three phases of understanding a city’s needs: WHAT is missing, HOW it is wanted, and WHICH project is necessary to achieve the goal. “Only once you understood those do you call the architects.” >> 

The Story of Collapse

I was published again, on the AIA Pittsburgh eColumns (the online magazine of the American Institute of Architects, Pittsburgh Chapter).

Click here to read my article on Seth Clark, a very talented artist based in Pittsburgh.

" Beyond the subject-matter of the work, Clark’s compositions are well balanced and almost pleasant. They don’t provide solutions. They capture a condition that, as architects or even residents of less popular areas in the city, we are seeing repeatedly: abandoned buildings and deterioration. His technique is powerful and mastered: the collages are hyper-realistic, but also composed in a surreal manner. "

Four Stories to be seen

The YAF Young Architects Forum of Pittsburgh choose me to review an exhibition at the Heinz Architectural Center.

Check it out on the AIA Pittburgh website!