Congratulations to AIA Pittsburgh’s Rob Pfaffmann, who was among the 178 member architects inducted into the College of Fellows for 2017.  The Fellows program was developed to elevate architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Pfaffmann, founder and Principal of Pfaffmann + Associates, is also a past AIA Pittsburgh Board President.  Three Pfaffmann + Associates projects—the Port Authority’s Gateway Station, Fort Duquesne & Sixth Garage and the Meadowcroft Rockshelter—have received Silver Medals at AIA Pittsburgh’s Design Awards, the Chapter’s highest honor.

It’s July, it’s hot, and you’re counting down the days (or hours) until vacation. Things may feel slower, even sluggish, on these 90° days, but the AIA is still at it, putting your dues dollars to work! AIA Pittsburgh is working full-throttle as Design Pittsburgh approaches. The Call for Submissions has been announced and we look forward to viewing your standout projects for our annual Design Awards Competition. Another new initiative is the AIA Pittsburgh Foundation for Architecture’s Leadership Institute for Emerging Professionals. Applications are due at the end of the month, so don’t miss out on this great opportunity! AXP not IDP: The Architectural Experience Program (AXP), formerly the Intern Development Program (IDP), has officially launched this week. See...

“Everyone has the potential to be a leader and everyone should have the opportunity to learn to be an effective leader.” What is Leadership? was the question posed in the AIA Pittsburgh Foundation for Architecture’s essay contest last month. The newly reestablished Foundation is focusing on providing leadership development for architects and emerging professionals, and the organization’s first initiative was to send one individual to AIA Convention, chosen via essay. The above quote is just one line from the award-winning essay written by Jessica Stuck, AIA. Keep scrolling to read Stuck’s entire essay, as well as snippets from the other entries. What Is Leadership? by Jessica Stuck, AIA The definition of leadership is often over-generalized and cliché. Effective leaders can be found in...

G. Thomas Williams, FAIA (Tom), a leader in the Pittsburgh architectural community throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, and a founding member of WTW Architects, passed away on Sunday, May 8th, 2016. Upon graduation from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1952, Williams joined Mellon Stuart as a draftsman, working under William H. Young & Associates together with Tom Trebilcock; Paul Whitehead join the duo in 1957. Upon Williams becoming a Registered Architect in 1959, the trio struck out on their own setting up the practice in the Republic Building on the North Side. Initially known as G. Thomas Williams and Associates, the firm name became Williams Trebilcock Whitehead in 1961 when the latter two earned their architectural licenses....

“We are invested in the future of the profession,” states Sean Sheffler, AIA. At the beginning of the month, AIA Pittsburgh made a big announcement – that the long-defunct Foundation for Architecture has been reestablished. With a focused mission and enthusiastic, hand-selected Board of Directors (of which Sheffler is a member), the Foundation has hit the ground running in its efforts “to provide leadership development for architects and emerging architectural professionals.” Columns talked with the new board members – chair Daniel Rothschild, AIA, Jen Bee, AIA, and Sean Sheffler, AIA – about how the organization found its legs again, and what they hope for its future. Columns: How did the Foundation come to be reformed?  Jen Bee: For quite some...

Congratulations are in order for AIA Pittsburgh’s Bill Bates and Jeff Murray, who have both been selected to be inducted into the College of Fellows and will be honored at an investiture ceremony at the 2016 National AIA Convention. The Fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Bill Bates, FAIA of Eat n’ Park Hospitality Group, Inc. has been an active member in the AIA for decades, first serving a leadership role as...

Name: Michael P. McDonnell, AIA Firm: IKM Incorporated Family: Son Luke – 14 years old in 8th grade Years in practice: 25 years Education: Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture Your first job: Lifeguard for the Recreation Department in Davenport, Iowa Project you’re proudest of: The Ice Rink & Fountain at PPG Place. It transformed an otherwise unused public space. What’s the best part of your job? The best part of my job is that every day presents something new. New design challenges, new technology, new clients.  I never really know what the day will hold until I am in the middle of it. It drives me forward with excitement. What would you change about your job? I wish I could change the timeline projects typically have today. There...

This was originally presented as a lecture hosted by Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, and subsequently posted to Fisher BLOGitecture. This has been edited and reposted with the author’s permission.  I’ve been thinking about the following idea I presented in a previous post, Reimagining Pittsburgh: Only by carefully studying Pittsburgh’s existing context may an architect design new forms for it.  I’m now of the opinion that that not only is context important when you are coming up with the project ideas, it is also important as you design and build the project. There are different ways to take action. There’s the kind of person who (carefully or not) studies a situation where change needs to occur, forms a strong opinion...

Anyone that knows me has probably noticed that I spend a lot of time talking to a lot of young professionals. And it surprises me that, even with the massive effort NCARB has undertaken to educate the community about the pending changes in the exam process (including publishing the Test Specification), there’s still a great deal of confusion and misunderstanding about what’s actually going on. So let’s all take a collective breather –take five, if you will – and review some of the more important facts about ARE 5.0… 1. The new version of the exam is still over a year away.  ARE 5.0 is not set to launch until late 2016, well over a year from now.  Anyone that...

Anne Swager, Hon. AIA has been called many things – progressive, outspoken, ballsy, an ally, a foe, compassionate, cheerleader, easily distracted, thinker of big ideas. And for the past 25 years, she’s also been called Executive Director of AIA Pittsburgh. I have worked with AIA Pittsburgh and Anne in a handful of capacities over the past decade and one thing I have learned is, if she has a story to tell (and she will), you should sit down and listen. We touched base over a cup of coffee recently to look back over this quarter century of her leadership at AIA Pittsburgh and her career serving as a voice for the architecture community. Columns: First things first, did you ever...