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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 |
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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. |
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. |
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: |
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! |