Editor’s note: Reposted in its entirety from IKM’s website.  Used with permission. What is an “emerging professional?”  As architects, we use the term to describe any professional with 10 years of experience or less. At IKM Architecture, our “emerging professionals” represent the largest and most influential group at the firm. In many ways, their diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and technical acumen make them our go-to resource for mentoring the upcoming generation of designers and forming a symbiotic relationship with firm leadership. No pressure, right? Last year, the AIA Pittsburgh’s Foundation for Architecture launched the inaugural class of the AIA Leadership Institute for Emerging Professionals to support a cohort that is ripe with talent and ambition but remains hungry for direction.Through a...

Young architects need a wide range of experience to become well-rounded professionals, and that’s not always possible to get exclusively from the places they work. That’s why mentors are so important – to help bridge the gaps that a job cannot fill. The local AIA Pittsburgh YAF (Young Architects’ Forum) chapter has historically struggled to establish a program to nurture mentor/mentee relationships. Elsewhere in the state, however, AIA Pennsylvania’s Emerging Professional committee has come up with a unique program of their own that has proven successful. Now, for the first time in Pittsburgh, when you need a hand finding a mentor, there’s AIA Pennsylvania’s PALM Program. PALM stands for Promoting Advocacy and Licensure through Mentorship. It was developed in part by Melissa...

The paths in the architectural profession are many and varied, and the nature of those practicing within it, are divergent. Our differing backgrounds, education, and experience each influence our approach to practice, which we perform in different states, in different regions, and in different market segments. Some of us are working in 200-person firms, while others are sole practitioners. Some of us design, some of us market, some of us develop construction drawings. Where our paths converge, however, is in the act of earning one’s license. Registration – whether we are currently working to achieve it, or look back fondly upon the process — is the one thing we all have in common as professionals. We asked five recently registered...

As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, something I’ve become all too aware of in the past eighteen months. My wife and I welcomed a son in 2011; it’s been a life-changing experience, in ways that we never expected. We knew, going in, that parenting was going to be a huge responsibility. Turns out, we were wrong — parenting is an enormous responsibility, and I don’t just mean sleepless nights and dirty diapers. We’re in the process of creating a person; in doing so, we  have charged ourselves with teaching  our son  right from wrong, good from bad… in other words, making sure that he becomes a decent human being. It didn’t take us...

On January 22, 2013, as part of their ongoing outreach effort, The National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB) visited Carnegie Mellon University. Assistant Director of IDP Nick Serfass, NCARB, LEED AP, PMP, was on-hand for two distinct presentations on all things related to licensure — “Designing Your Future: Creating Value in Your Career” and “NCARB and You: IDP, ARE, and Certification.” CMU’s School of Architecture hosted the event, which also included a networking reception complete with snacks from Pittsburgh Popcorn, for students and emerging professionals from AIA Pittsburgh’s Young Architects Forum. About 25 students attended the first presentation, which offered an overview of the licensure process. The second presentation, geared toward post-graduates who are already enrolled in IDP, attracted...

Over the past several years, you undoubtedly have read (both here in Columns and in other industry journals) about the significant challenges facing the profession of architecture. The unprecedented economic downturn has had a devastating impact on our profession. Many are questioning our ongoing relevance causing much pessimism about our future. Many baby boomer architects are beginning to retire while a shrinking number of young professionals are seeking accreditation. Simultaneously the industry is becoming increasingly more complex, causing a significant need for the effective mentoring of young architects so that they will be able to step up and take on the many challenges.  To help meet the ever growing complexities of projects and the demand for more efficiency in project...

What is the best way to mentor high school students in the design and construction fields?  Get them involved. That is the goal of the ACE Mentor Program of America, Inc.  ACE stands for Architecture, Construction, and Engineering – the primary disciplines responsible for creating buildings.  According to the ACE website (www.acementor.org), “The program’s mission is to engage, excite, and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in the integrated construction industry through mentoring; and to support their continued advancement in the industry through scholarship and grants.” Pittsburgh’s chapter, now in its fourth year, is working with 60 area high school students and partnering with dozens of industry professionals to continue the ACE mission right here in Allegheny County.  In...