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AIACM 2022 Scholarship Recipients Announced

AIACM is pleased to announce the scholarship recipients for 2022: Daynah Guyton, a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, received a scholarship for $1,000, and Stephany Medina attending Wentworth Institute of Technology is the recipient of a $2,000 scholarship.

The scholarships are made possible by a partnership between AIA Central Massachusetts and AIA National, who matches the chapter’s commitment. Thanks to this substantial matching program, AIACM was able to award two scholarships this year.

To qualify for consideration, scholarship applicants must submit an essay and letter of recommendation. Here is what the two students’ recommendation letters shared about the candidates:

“Daynah has proven to be a very well-rounded individual with many interests and hobbies alongside of her career aspirations. She is charming when discussing her hobbies and thoughtful when sharing her ideas. She has applied herself fully to all the tasks we have given her, which range from graphic renderings to sketching ideas for architectural interventions. She has an intuitive understanding of spatial relationships and a creative imagination – both of which will serve her well in the architecture world. She is also sensible, thorough, and whip smart, which doesn’t hurt either!”

“Ms. Medina has proven to be very hard working, methodical and persistent, having a consistent and systematic approach to new projects and a real personal interest in architecture. Her strong representational skills and design capabilities lead to exciting projects. Her participation in my classes has always been active and substantial since she has an inquiring mind that asks the right kind of questions. Moreover, at a personal level, Ms. Medina is a well-disciplined and reliable individual, who inspires others with her friendly demeanor and positive attitude. She works equally well independently as with others, and I am confident that she will achieve excellence in any project she undertakes.”

AIACM Celebrates Design Excellence at 2022 Awards Dinner

AIACM hosted its annual Excellence in Design Awards dinner earlier this month, once again celebrating architecture in our region and the talented people behind these exceptional projects.

This year we received more than 30 submissions encompassing a broad range of project types, from schools and libraries to residential and outdoor spaces and structures - the jury took on the difficult task of selecting just eight projects for recognition.

Our jury was comprised of three accomplished architects from outside of Central Massachusetts: Stephen Shreiber is from the Western Massachusetts AIA; Tolya Stonorov is from AIA Vermont, and John Priestley is from AIA Maine. You can learn more about our jurors here.

We were fortunate to have Mr. Shreiber share the jury's thoughts at the awards presentation, giving attendees some insight into the projects as well as the selection process.

The winning projects are:


Honor Award

Oudens Ello Architecture

Gladys E. Kelly Public Library


Honor Award

Arrowstreet

Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School


Merit Award

Studio InSitu Architects

Studio Apartment


Merit Award

Paul Lukez Architecture

Deleeuw House


Merit Award

SMMA

Templeton Elementary School



Citation Award

Studio InSitu Architects

Azucar Pavillion


Citation Award

Abacus Architects + Planners

Taft Public Library


Honorable Mention

Studio InSitu Architects

Triangle Common



In-person Programs Bringing People Together Again


As AIA Central Massachusetts is able to hold more in-person events, turnout is growing and people are enjoying the social aspects of our educational programs once more. Over the summer, affiliate members, Van Oppen and Co. hosted a program at Polar Park.


Attendees learned about risk control, industry trends and strategies to improve business performance and profitability before watching the Woo Sox win against the Red Wings.

AIA Central Massachusetts facilitated a free tour of the new Unity Hall Building at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This well-attended event gave participants an inside look at the design by Gensler Architects and the opportunity to ask question of the architects. In addition to the chapter membership, several students were in attendance.


A Current Student's Reflection on her Architecture Education

What is architecture school like in 2022? How are the studio courses structured? What kind of projects do architecture students of today work on? Architecture schools of 2022 can be influenced by many factors: digital and physical tools, history, sustainability, professional experience, outside activities, and connection with others.

My name is Abby McCue, and I am from Northborough, MA. I am a rising third-year architecture student at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. I am also pursuing minors in music composition and landscape architecture. In addition to my education, at NC State I participate in multiple activities to build my leadership, teamwork, and time management skills. Some of the organizations that I am part of include AIAS, my sorority, and an honor fraternity. Outside of school, I run a small Etsy shop, do freelance graphic design, and am a childcare provider.

These different opportunities and activities help shape my unique experiences in architecture school. Being exposed to multiple avenues of creativity has allowed me to learn more about my interests and approach to the design process. I have found that exploring different areas of interest is helpful in the broad scope of architecture, as it is a cross-disciplinary field.

Read more here.



Reflecting on Sustainability in Architecture on Earth Day 2022

Earth Day is a day we are called upon to focus on environmental sustainability. Sustainability, in the architecture and building industry, is becoming more significant as the urban built environment is responsible for 75% of annual global GHG emissions: and buildings alone account for 39%.

When the first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970, air pollution was a major problem in most US cities. Now, a half century and a geologic age worth of carbon later, global carbon emissions are up about 90%, and we are facing a new crisis. On this earth day, people and companies are taking time to reflect on the beauty of our planet, and recognizing the importance of taking care of it for future generations.

Read more.

Toward Carbon Positive Architecture

Educational Program to be Held at WPI on April 6 at 5pm


Carbon positive and net zero energy buildings are a cornerstone of reversing runaway greenhouse gas emissions.

Join the Central Massachusetts AIA for an educational session that will look at lessons learned from more than a decade in net-zero construction and its evolution from mission-driven clients to potential mass market adoption.

Blake Jackson (pictured, right), AIA/LEED Fellow, US Northeast Sustainability Leader from Stantec Boston will present two case studies of recent projects, as part of his presentation:

1) the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO (a LEED Platinum, 2011 AIA COTE Top 10 Award winning project), and

2) Evolv1, a developer core/shell office building in Waterloo, Ontario (LEED Platinum and Canada’s 1st verified Carbon Positive Building – 2018).



Letter from AIA Central Massachusetts President, Jack Moran

Dear AIA Central Massachusetts Member,

Happy New Year! We begin 2022 with cautious optimism that it will bring back a sense of normalcy – even if that means a new normal. 

Despite all the challenges that 2021 threw at us, we had a very successful year. We organized 8 programs, providing our members with the opportunity to earn 13.5 continuing education learning units, including:  

Read more



AIACM Announces 2021 Scholarship Winner

November 2021 - AIACM is pleased to announce that Brenda Hernandez is the recipient of the 2021 scholarship for $1,000, including $500 from the Central Massachusetts Chapter and a matching award from AIA National.

A master of architecture candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brenda is a first generation American from El Paso, TX. Brenda received her BA from Smith College in Architecture and Landscape Studies. She credits her liberal arts background with helping inform her designs and interest in interdisciplinary exploration.

Each year the scholarship committee of AIA CM awards up to two scholarships to deserving architecture students. Congratulations Brenda and all the best at MIT this year!

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