Bill Bates, FAIA in South Korea during his tenure as AIA National President in 2019 AIA Pittsburgh’s William “Bill” Bates, FAIA served as President of AIA National in 2019 after being elected to the Board of Directors in 2011.  Bates served as AIA’s 2018 President-Elect and was also vice president and chair of the AIA Board Community Committee from 2015-2016. In 1991 and again in 2010, Bill served as president of AIA Pennsylvania and was also president of AIA Pittsburgh in 1987. He has chaired boards for the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation and the Green Building Alliance. After talking to Bill about his role in the recent PBS documentary on Paul Williams, FAIA, I wanted...

Paul R. Williams, AIA in front of the LAX terminal. Before diving into the Oscar’s broadcast this Sunday, if that’s your thing, consider taking a gander at a new documentary airing on WQED-TV at 4 pm.  This one-hour special explores the journey of iconic Los Angeles architect Paul Revere Williams, AIA, and his professionalism and determination in the face of discrimination. From the early 1920s until his retirement 50 years later, Williams was one of the most prolific architects in America. His list of celebrity clients included Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, William Holden, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. He is noted for his mastery of various iconic architectural styles that include the Beverly Hills Hotel, the original MCA Headquarters Building...

10. There is not one answer to why our members belong to AIA.  Read the diverse viewpoints from the 2018 Board of Directors in this round-up. I Belong to the AIA Because … 9. Columns Editor Maya Henry interviews Kuza Woodward of IMPACCT Brooklyn about what Pittsburgh can learn from affordable housing development in Brooklyn Q&A with Kuza Woodard of IMPACCT Brooklyn 8. What have Greg Dutton and Matt Diersen, AIA learned as consulting architects on HGTV’s Restored by the Fords? Restored by the Fords 7. Bea Spolidoro, AIA reports on Carnegie Mellon University’s AIAS chapter’s roundtable on what happens after you graduate from architecture school. What Happens After School? 6. John Ryan, AIA explores the evolution of wellness design in...

December:  Members will vote at the Annual Meeting and President’s Holiday Party to approve the slate of AIA Pittsburgh Board members. The slate is determined by a candidate process overseen by the Governance Committee that includes outreach, an open call to members, submission of written statements and bios, and in-person interviews.  There is also a Bylaws amendment to be approved that can be viewed here.

November: Design Pittsburgh was just the kick off for your architecture awards season.  On November 15 join your colleagues in Pittsburgh at the offices of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson from 5:30 – 9pm to celebrate architectural excellence with AIA Pennsylvania’s 2nd annual digital design awards reveal.

Photo credit Rob Larson. October: Design Pittsburgh month has dropped.  Make sure you are voting with a purpose for the People’s Choice Award. Voting will end on October 18th, so cast your votes now. You can vote 1x in each category.  Then, make sure to get your tickets to help us celebrate the winners at Design Awards on October 25th at Nova Place.

September: back-to-school and the promise of cooler temps in the air.  Many young architects are just starting out their studies (read about 2018 AIA/YAF Liaison for AIAS at CMU Chitika Vasudeva right here).  

It’s that time of year – if you’ve been around here for any length of time you know that the deadline to submit for Design Pittsburgh 2018 is coming up on August 24th, but we MUST receive your Submission Request Form by August 17th.  And then, of course, be sure to save-the-date of October 25th for the Design Pittsburgh 2018 Awards Ceremony and Gala at Nova Place.

Can you believe it’s July?  This month offers some nice opportunities to beat the heat and stay connected.  Also, be sure to save-the-date of October 25th for the Design Pittsburgh 2018 Awards Ceremony and Gala at Nova Place.  Look for the new Awards Criteria to be posted shortly.

Got Advocacy?  This month affords several opportunities to learn more about how the AIA advocates for you AND how to get more involved.  AIA Pittsburgh is hosting AIA PA President Scott Compton, AIA and AIA PA Executive Director Stephen Swarney for two days of events.  You can also see AIA Pittsburgh by the numbers as our 2017 AIA PGH Annual Report has just been released.  And finally, be sure to save-the-date of October 25th for the Design Pittsburgh Awards Ceremony and Gala.  More details coming soon.