Internally Yours: Your AIBC Intern Architect Rep to Council Blog

Integrated Everything, Overtime and More

Haven't been writing lately, have I!? Was off to London for a week, then after that I was out with the flu for a couple of weeks. I highly recommend flu shots! At least one firm out there, I heard at Council meeting today, actually pays for flu shots. Flus are no fun - it's definately worth checking out if your firm would chip in for shots.

Went to the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) bookstore. Just stayed there forever it seemed. There were sooo many good books. I went to see one of Louis Kahn's houses in Pennsylvania a few years ago - kind of just knocked on the door one Sunday - and they let me in! The owner was telling me that there was going to be a book on their house... and there it was on the shelves at RIBA.

The bookstore's different from, say, Inform's collection in that it's got a practice section. How to start up an architectural practice, how to do this, how to do that. Sort of useful kinds of books I've never seen before!

Just as I got back from the UK there was a "Five Presidents Reception" at the AIBC. The Five Presidents meaning the five heads of the AIA, AIAS, ACSA, NCARB, and NAAB.

Who?

AIA is the big one, American Institute of Architects (Canada's equivalent is the RAIC). AIAS is the American Institute of Architectural Students (we have CASA, Canadian Architectural Students Association). ACSA stands for Association for Collegiate Schools of Architecture - essentially the educators of the profession - we have CCUSA (Canadian Council of University Schools of Architecture). NCARB is NCARB - National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. And NAAB is National Architectural Accrediting Board, which I think in Canada is the CACB, Canadian Architectural Certification Board.

For some reason all five and their 'team' of people all decided to meet up in Vancouver. I talked to Kate Schwennsen, president of the AIA, and asked her why. I can't remember why Vancouver, but she said that they meet up twice a year and had what she termed "blue sky" meetings. So not to create policy like the AIBC Council does, but really, really big and open idea-type meetings. It's really useful to hear from the profession, the educators, the regulators, the students etc. all at one table.

She is a really enthusiatic woman. She's super excited about the younger generation in particular. She talked about "integrated practice" ... as if it was something I probably knew about. I don't! So I looked it up on the AIA site: Integrated Practice "leverages early contribution of knowledge through utilization of new technologies, allowing architects to better realize their highest potentials as designers and collaborators while expanding the value they provide throughout the project lifecycle. The result of this revolutionary change in our practice will be a more relevant profession that exceeds expectations, freeing architects to truly be designers again."

"Imagine a world where all communications throughout the process are clear, concise, open, transparent, and trusting; where designers have full understanding of the ramifications of their decisions at the time the decisions are made; where facilities managers, end users, contractors and suppliers are all involved at the start of the design process; where processes are outcome driven and decisions are not made solely on first cost basis; where risk and reward are value-based, appropriately balanced among all team members over the life of a project; and where the profession delivers higher quality design that is sustainable and responsive. This is the future perfect vision of Integrated Practice."

It's almost a stretch to imagine all that. I have to say that, so far, it does feel that practicing architecture seems more like project management than designing. It feels to me like school and work at pretty disparate at times.

The other person I talked to was the president of ACSA, Ted Landsmark, also the CEO of the Boston Architectural College (BAC). Wow, what an amazing guy. He's very articulate, he's African-American, he's a lawyer and an architect. And he goes around with a baseball cap and a pretty modest winter coat. Anyways. He tells me that at the BAC, the intern program is completely integrated with the degree program. That is, all the AREs and all the work experience has to be completed before you receive your degree. So in effect, when you get your degree, you can call yourself a practicing, registered architect. Wow!!

The BAC is also one of 3 schools in the states to do this pilot program called "Practice Academy Initiative", essentially creating an internship program that really links the school, the firm, and the AIA, so the process is much more integrated. Maybe this is what Ted was talking about that seemed so unique.

I'm all for more and better links. If we have to go through this process, can we make it any smoother?

Talked to Trish Poenell at UBC recently - they have had for the past few years something called "Take an Architecture Student out for Lunch". And so I got our firm to take in 4 students - totally green, 1st year architecture students. First thing was "Are you sure you want to go through with it? We've got some Pharmacy brochures if you think you should switch!" But, no, it was good. I kind of wish we had that back in my year - would have been fun to see a real office then.

By the way, what are we going to do about all the overtime interns do? Should this concern the Intern Architect Committee, the AIBC? So far, the AIBC has put out Practice Note #11 - but as one intern pointed out, this puts the initiative solely on the intern-employee. Is this unfair, when overtime is industry-wide and professionally sort-of accepted, especially in bumper years like these?

Council meeting today. The register tally says: 468 interns! We are growing by leaps and bounds. We had a review of intern fees today - this is what I had presented in September - and Council decided that what we pay was worth the programs and benefits we receive. Some discussion on privacy policy of AIBC, and of Council members. Oops, should I have let that out?

posted by Lisa @ 8:12 PM