Year Two
Yes, I haven't been keeping up with my blog. I've been busy. So that's that! But here's a bit of a quick wrap-up of the past little bit -- and again this is just my version of the AIBC world and certainly not official by any means -- get the goods at the AIBC:There was the AIBC conference in April. There are three big parts to this event that completely soaks up all the time and energy of the AIBC staff for a good half the year. And reputedly the extra long hours they put to it is also the reason why they get summer hours. There are (1) the conference courses, (2) the AGM, and (3) the big awards dinner. The AIBC conference course offerings are, I think, essentially where registered AIBCs get their LU's all in a jiffy, before they have to report in June. (Yes, now you think, wouldn't it be great if we could get all our requirements done in one go?). Then there's the Annual General Meeting, which must happen by the terms of the Architect's Act - lots of talks happen here by grace of the Council (including a speech by your's truly), but essentially I believe the two talks that have to happen are the reports by the President and the Treasurer, telling the member MAIBCS what's up and how things are going. Then third, there's the President's Dinner / Awards Gala. It's when the AIBC Lieutenant Awards are given out. The AIBC is generally a regulatory organization, but it does a lot of other things to support excellence in the profession, and one of them is the awards. Some think that a regulatory organization should be totally separate from an advocacy organization. But anyways, this is what we have right now, and if I've learnt anything from being born and raised and educated and now working in BC - we don't always do what others tell us.
So my personal involvement ... if you are interested: I went to George Yu's lecture (one of the big, free, evening lectures at the conference) - George was an instructor when I was in first year so thought I'd check it out. It's kind of like the Light Resource lectures, but you are guaranteed to get a seat. I also then took the Friday off and went to what I considered the fun "design courses". And yes, most that went are architects, though I met a few interns that went even though they don't need the LUs. It's definately a social event, and was great for meeting up with those I hadn't seen from school. I can't say that it was terribly easy to smooze amongst the majority of the people - middle-aged white men - during breaks, but you never know, sometimes you hit it off. The President's Dinner is usually fun. Last year I sat beside an architect, who came up and said hi to me after the AGM. Wow, I thought. This year I sat beside a couple who works/partly works at Patkau Architects, who got one of the awards. Wow, I thought.
Right after the AGM the new Council got together for a mini meeting, and most important for me, appointed me in again. This because there were no nominations for Intern Rep. This is my last year people! I'm not doing this after April 2008 so think about it!
After that, first things first: retreat. Council retreats every year, or at least is supposed to. We didn't really retreat last year, but spent a morning in the AIBC board room. Because with the joint RAIC/AIBC conference in June 2006 it was too late to book a time amongst all Council members. This year we got to have a retreat, and happened just two weeks ago in Osoyoos. It's a good thing, really. I got a ride up with two key members of the AIBC Registration Board - Scott Kemp (Chair of that board), and Gord Richards (the Registrar). Between reminiscences of flooring it on the German autobahn and the sweetness of Okanagan cherries, we chatted about registration-type stuff and got to know each other in a really good way. I think that's important for working together.
So Council talked and talked and talked and talked for two days straight. In a room that was freezing, while it was 35 outside. Let's say I'm a little fuzzy about what happened. But one thing for sure came out: intern registration is a high priority this year.
So I'm just back from an evening with 4 other Council members down at Steamworks. We are on two different task groups that Council made at the retreat - let's call them "Schools" and "Registration", and let's say they are so inter-connected that the same members find themselves on both groups. Essentially, the idea of the task group is that the smaller group made up of Council members can more effectively work out an issue than the whole Council - the task group then sets out the task at hand and presents "something" - a report, a recommendation, a motion, a policy, etc. - to Council.
Yours truly has been trying to get at her famous "intern report" since, oh, March? Hopefully, hopefully, two weeks she's get something done. She's been a bit busy.
So that's the Council side of things.
Intern Architect Committee stuff: We are still meeting once a month. We are actually looking for a couple more people - another intern, and a Syllabus person. So if you are interested, come on down. You get lunch.
The biggest thing has been that NCARB 4.0 starts next year: look on NCARB's website, but essentially, if you have taken and passed at least one ARE division, you need to finish up within two years. If you haven't taken the exams, wait one year would be my suggestion.
Five BC interns went out to Calgary to the David Thaddeus structures course. It's an insane course, going from 8am to 7pm in the evenings for 3 days. So insane, we're going to try to get him here in Vancouver next year (maybe February?). Should be about $350 for the 3 days.
Norm Dorf is of course coming here in November. Yes, we are trying to get a registration process going. Hold your horses.
Pototype is in full swing and out on all the international competition website. You should enter! It's your town, it's your fellow interns that organized it, it's all about your favourite Vancouver typology: the podium and tower. Have at them. See http://www.pototype.ca/
Still talking lots to the Alberta intern rep. Who talks a lot to the Manitoba interns reps, so we're all trying to connect somewhat. Manitoba's got two intern reps, and they have a vote on Council. Man, how did they get that?
And I went to the Oral Reviews last review - sat in on two of them, whose interns graciously allowed me to. I would say that the process is pretty reasonable. The interns who took them underwent my own "oral review" while the jury deliberated. Both said that it was what they expected. One took 30 hours to study for it, the same as for an exam, and you do get a list from the AIBC on what it covers etc. Both said that experience in a firm where you weren't pigeonholed would help you out in the oral review.
The Oral Review is not like thesis presentations at school. From what I could see, it asked questions about how architecture is typically practiced in BC. If you didn't have a reasonable clue, well, perhaps you're not all that prepared for what you might encounter. It's not so much about the project that you are presenting - it's more of a conversation piece to pick out how you understand, say, the broader and general aspects surrounding it.
I'd say I'm better prepared for an Oral Review just having sat in on one. And I think others would be too. So I'm hoping to be the sacrificial guinea pig at the next Oral Reviews prep workshop, and do an Oral Review in "theatresports"-style.
"Tired Young Architects" (see last blog posting below) - composed of three of us - waded through 20km in the pouring, pouring rain and raised almost $1000! Four, count them, four of the sponsors were MAIBCs, sponsoring myself in my plee so big kudos to them who I know are all-round generous type people. We're doing it again next year, so let me know if you'd like to join! But most importantly, if you'd like to donate a modest amount: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/LoginRegister.aspx?EventID=9892&LangPref=en-CA
Last but not least, the thought it always there: am I the best voice for all you people? Geez, if I happen to think that the Oral Review is an ok thing, or if the NCARBs are partly useful (do not use this against me!), am I doing anyone a disservice? Well, I can't help but be the type of person I am, and have the perspective and opinions that I do - which is, of course, partial. I don't necessarily have the right or wrong answer. I'm just put in a position. I'm just trying to be useful for both interns who want to get registered, and the architects trying to register interns. Somewhere we're supposed to meet up.
posted by Lisa @ 10:39 PM
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