ArchPLUS Summer 2014 Vol.1 No.3

ArchPLUSA PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS WESTCHESTER + HUDSON VALLEY CHAPTER

YOUNG ARCHITECTS PROGRAMS

MENTORING

STUDENTS SAVE A TRAIN STATION

VOLUME 1 | NO. 3 | SUMMER 2014

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ArchPLUS: A publication of the AIA Westchester + Hudson Valley Chapter

ArchPLUS StaffEditor-in-Chief

Art Director

Photo Editor

Advertising

Executive Director

Contributing Editors

Board of Directors 2014

American Institute of Architects Westchester + Hudson Valley ChapterP.O.Box 611, Katonah, NY 10536914.232.7240E-mail: [email protected]: www.aiawhv.orgtwitter: @aiawhv

Summer 2014 Vol. 1, No. 3

Peter F Gaito Jr., AIA [email protected]

Ken Baviello, Assoc. AIA

Jason Taylor, AIA, LEED AP

Jaclyn Tyler, AIA, LEED AP bd+c Valerie Brown, Hon. AIANYS, LEED AP

Valerie Brown, Hon. AIANYS, LEED AP [email protected]

Aqua Tower by Studio GangPhoto taken this past June by Peter Gaito Jr.

while at the AIA National Convention in Chicago.

John Fry, AIA LEED AP bd+c, Gregg DeAngelis, AIA LEED AP, Manuel Andrade, AIA, LEED AP

President

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Secretary

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Immediate Past President

Directors

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John Fry, AIA, LEED AP, bd+c

Peter F. Gaito Jr, AIA

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Michael Berta, AIA

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Gregg DeAngelis, AIA, LEED AP

James Copeland, AIA May Kirk, AIASunghee Park, AIA, LEED APElizabeth Parks, AIAJoe Sencen, AIA, LEED APJason Taylor, AIARick Torres, AIA

Erika Conradt, Assoc. AIA, LEED APJaclyn Tyler, AIA, LEED AP, bd+c

is a benefit of the American Institute of Architects Westchester + Hudson Valley Chapter as a quarterly publication. For information on professional or allied membership, please call 914-232-7240 or email [email protected].

The opinions expressed hererin or the representations made by contributors and advertisers, including copyrights and warranties, are not those of the AIA Westchester + Hudson Valley Chapter, its Staff or the Editor of ArchPLUS, unless expressly stated otherwise.

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ArchPLUS is a quarterly publication of the AIA Westchester + Hudson Valley Chapter. For advertising information, please contact us: phone: 914.232.7240 or E-mail: [email protected].

AIA – Statement of Purpose:

The AIA is a visionary member organization providing advocacy, leadership, and resources for architects to design a better world.

ArchPLUS is currently accepting unsolicited material for upcoming publications. For submission guidelines and/or to become a regular contributor, see our website for information; www.aiawhv.org. For further information please email the Editor or the Executive Director.

ArchPLUS is currently available online at www.issuu.com/aiawhvPrint issues are available for order through the Chapter office. Single copy price $10.

SUMMER 2014REGULARS6 A Word from the Editor

24 Plantology Studio

10 President’s Perspective

14 Code Corner

8 Young Architects Program

12 Membership Enhancement: Planning for 2015

13 Emerging Professionals

22 ArchiPAC: What Have You Done For Me Lately15 Legal Corner

16 Mentoring: The Future is Theirs

19 What I Have Done In Architecture (So Far)

26 Structural Solutions

30 Chapter Events

46 Chapter Events Calendar

47 Looking Back

44 Interview

20 AIA Updates

7 Sustainable Design

28 Building Insulation: A Science In Development

32 Millwood Station

36 Are We Mentoring Our Youth?

39 My Not-So Alternative Career Path

FEATURES

ArchPLUS Summer 2014 Vol. 1, No. 3

The Not-Too Distant FutureBy Peter Gaito Jr., AIA

2013 AIAWHV Scholarship recipient, shares a project from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, designed to help keep architecture relevent in futureBy Catlin McCabe

Next Generation of ArchitectsBy John Fry, AIA, LEED AP bd+c

Website Update: New Codes

SUNY Purchase students from the past two summers enjoy, learn, are inspired and look toward the futureBy Jaclyn Tyler AIA, LEED AP bd+c and Connie Anthony

Summary of the Annual Chapter Leadership Retreat

News and Events and ToursBy Ken Baviello, Assoc. AIA

The What, Where, How and Why regarding the contributions which are important to our profession - for today and tomorrow By Wendy Perez Young

Indemnety: Protection for OthersBy David Kassakoff, Esq., LEED AP

Students at New York City College of Technology embrace new design challengesBy Elizabeth Parks, AIA

A young architect’s education and internships leave him excited and determined By Nasim Gafur

Relevance of the Structural EngineerBy Ciri Cuono, PE

2014 Scholarship Winners

Chapter President John Fry with a raffle winner

Upcoming, don’t miss events

AIAWHV Design Award WInners: 1993

James D. Lothrop, AIA, ASIDBy Peter Gaito Jr., AIA

Advocacy and Civic Engagement By Mike Burridge

Think GreenBy Joe Sencen, AIA LEED AP

An insightful look of common materials as told by architector/inventor.By Robert W. Pollack, RA

The story of how a group of sutdents wanted to save it and why it’s possible to rebuild it exactly as it once stood.By John Fry, AIA, LEED AP bd+c

Creative young minds at work and play at the Future City Competition.By Elisa Volpati, AIA

Architect turned writer. How preperation for one career turned into another career.By Murrye Bernard, Assoc. AIA

Emerging Professional, intern, young architect, architectural designer, apprentice, young Jedi: All are terms to describe someone living and working in that period of time between graduation from architecture school and license. We dedicate this issue to their future. It is certainly a very exciting time for this particular group of people, and for architecture community in general. With the advent of a myriad of available data and information and the accessible software and hardware to effectively communicate design ideas, we live in a time where almost anything is possible to conceive and create. As it applies to our professional practices, I can think of no other time in our history where the idea of a top down system of working on a project was completely uprooted. The days of a Principal speaking to a project architect, who in turn speaks to a project manager, who in turn speaks the designers/young architects, are gone. It is now routine for a principal or project architect to sit with a young designer to develop different designs in CAD and 3-D programs in real time. They computer skills they possess, combined with a seasoned architect’s knowledge, can yield fantastic results in a very timely and accurate manner. I reflect upon my days at my first few jobs after graduation from architecture school, whereby the office was comprised of computer people (me and other young people) and non-computer people (older, seasoned architects). In those early days of CAD, only floor plans were generated via computer (young architects). Sections, elevations and details were drawn by hand by other (older) architects. This trend continued on for a bit, but quickly as the programs became more robust and user friendly and the people drawing with CAD became more seasoned themselves, they were soon able to accurately draw all of the required building elements on the computer. Then Form-Z came along and then Sketch-Up, and the architecture world has not looked back since.

When I joined my Father’s firm in 2001, where I still am today, he like other offices, had graduated to using 90% CAD but still had a few senior people doing detailed wall sections on vellum with pencil. Soon after, the office converted to all CAD, with the very last holdout for a brief time being: presentation renderings. For years, My Father, like many other firms, had commissioned a professional architectural renderer, to create engaging works of art, depicting our realistic projects in their contextual setting, which wowed our current and prospective clients. Today, we achieve those same results in creating our work product utilizing numerous CAD, 3-D, graphics, presentation, management, office, accounting and scheduling software, all of which are used by almost everyone in our office. My favorite questions to ask our new young hires include;“Do you know what an erasing shield is?” That element is gone, however, the single remaining powerful elements from those pre-computer days still remain: A roll of trace and a Pentel felt-tip marker. In the 3rd issue of ArchPLUS we explore messages from AIA National, our regular features and follow with excitement the lives of several young architects whose memorable and inspiring stories share various stages of their careers, and guided and supported by the wonderful adults in their lives. Also interwoven throughout the issue are insightful mini-interviews of four Associate AIA members. One feature tells how a group of students and their professor helped save a local building slated for demolition, and thus lost from history. The Interview shares how young architects working in an established practice, help to move it steadily towards the future. Also, debuting this issue, is a fun, new regular column, called LOOKING BACK. It is meant to help us remember celebrated Chapter architecture, as well as to help inspire the new generation of architects.

Talk soon - Peter Gaito Jr, AIA

A Word From The Editor

The Not-Too Distant Future

young architects + computer skills = more experience and opportunitiesAccording to a recent poll by Black Spectacles: Required skills needed by top architecture firms (in order of importance):

RevitAutoCADSketchUpPhotoshop3DS Max/VizInDesignIllustratorCreative SuiteOfficeOutlookRhinoPowerpointNewformaHand-SketchingProjectGrasshopperV-RayNavisworksMaxwellBluebeamDigital ProjectArchiCAD

My 5 year old niece Zoe, loves reading my Architecture mags

6 ArchPLUS Summer 2014

The first question everyone tends to ask with the question, “Should I be designing with a sustainable mindset?” is, “why?” or “what are the benefits?”These are legitimate answers even though they are questions, and what I hear is that it depends on the designer, owner, costs etc. I find having a successful sustainable design project is that the designer and owners soul must be involved personally as it’s a way of life. Think about it – You are an architect not because someone inoculated your soul with a T-square or mouse, AutoCAD, REVIT etc. It is a personal choice, part of your DNA, and you felt early (at least for me) or later on in life, it was part of your soul. Sustainable design has a similar path with architects and owners, and the particulars come down to passion points – I.E. Is your drive to combating Global Warming, Erosion, and Water Efficiency etc.? It is a personal choice and it comes from your core. In conclusion, pursuing a sustainable design is not only just your personal choice but one that affects the future population. That said; let’s protect our environment, future….and soul.

By JOe SeNCeN, AIA, LeeD AP

Having A Sustainable Life

Sustainable Design

Summer 2014 ArchPLUS 7

Last issue featured the summer architecture programs offered through SUNY Purchase’s Pre-college and youth programs. During the last three summers, the program has offered mentorship to many young individuals in the Westchester and Fairfield area. Two students having attended the program really benefited over the last year. Whether as a high school or elementary student being able to create a solid foundation and a strong mentor is an added benefit to attending the summer program. The program benefited one high school student immensely as she chose Architecture school as a result of participating. Allie’s father, Doug Conn, had the following to say about the program: “Allie is just about to graduate from High School. I thought the instructors would like to know that she has decided to pursue a degree in Architecture in college. She was accepted into a few schools, including two on substantial scholarships. In the end, she also was accepted to Tulane’s School of Architecture (in New Orleans) into their 5 year Bachelors and Master’s program and has decided to attend there this fall. Thanks again for all your encouragement of Allison’s. I know your program really helped to crystallize her interest in Architecture and helped with her applications to various Architecture Schools and Colleges.” Allie Conn entered the program with a compelling interest in Architecture, and the program helped her to advance her ideas in the field. She wrote the following essay regarding the program and her interests in Architecture and the environment:

Over the summer of 2013, I took an intensive architecture course at SUNY Purchase College. For our first assignment, each student was given a piece of paper which was to be their plot of land for an architectural model, for which we had to make floor plans, elevations, and a 3D-model representation. Most kids in the class chose extravagant models such as an elaborate train station, a tall skyscraper, or mansions designed for billionaires. I, on the other hand, decided to build a sustainable music studio. Prior to taking AP environmental science at my school during my junior year, I probably would have just done a simple house for a family of four. However, after taking the course, I only was interested in designing a sustainable piece of architecture because I knew all the effects that just one piece of architecture could have on the environment. In my sustainable music studio plans, I took many aspects of architecture into account such as

the purpose of the building, the energy source, the materials, the landscape, and much more. I decided I wanted to make a 3-story building, which included a lobby, a sound studio, an electrical room, office space, conference rooms, a lounge, a kitchen and eating area, an elevator, stairs, 4 walls, a roof, and most importantly bathrooms. Also, I took into account my energy source for the building. I knew I didn’t want to use coal because of the sulfur dioxide and cyanide it releases and the land degradation it causes. Instead I chose to use a sustainable energy source. I knew I couldn’t choose hydroelectric power or wind power because my building was in the city, so therefore I chose solar energy. I used both passive and active solar techniques. The windows were tinted to prevent sunlight from warming the building on warmer days and on colder days the windows would allow more sunlight to come through and warm the building. In addition to this, the windows provided a natural light source for the building. The active solar techniques consisted of solar panels. Then, I took into account the materials for my building. I knew I wanted a large portion of the building to be windows for the passive solar energy, so I used floor to ceiling windows for the lobby, corner conference rooms, and corner office spaces. Then I decided to use recycled wood that came from previously knocked down buildings. By doing so, I limited the amount of CO2 produced from additional trees being cut down and production of new materials such as metals. Next, I took into account the landscape of my plot. I planted lots of vegetation around the property in order to clean the air of CO2 and release oxygen. I also added a green roof to my building to grow crops to use in the building’s kitchens and to provide insulation. Once I finished my plans, I built a 3D model of my sustainable music studio. Currently in my senior year, I am taking an independent study in architecture. In this class, I am designing a sustainable community. The community has homes, a community center, school, theatre, water and sewage treatment center, hydropower plant, and clothing production center where only flax will be used and will act as their main economic income. In this project, I not only have to take into account ways to be sustainable in just one building but in the community as a whole. One example of this is regulations on water use and banning plastic. In college,I hope to further develop my knowledge and interest in architectural skills and sustainability so I am able to redesign homes to be both functional and sustainable to benefit the resident and the environment.

The mentorship is even spreading to the youngest generation. One of this year’s attendees participated in the

By JACLyN TyLeR, AIA, LeeD AP BD+C AND CONNIe ANTHONy

Feature

Perspective on young Architect’s ProgramsWhen we got home, he announced that now he wanted to go see Falling Water


program last year as well and his growth was astonishing. It showed the instructors that Architecture is a real desire to even our youngest members and they are eager to learn the ways of the field. Jack Anthony, is an 11-year-old from Greenwich. Like many children his age, he loves technology. In fact, his mother decided to look for an architecture-themed program because of his interest in the video game Minecraft in which players “can build creative structures, creations, and artwork”, according to the game’s website. Jack’s Minecraft creations reminded his mother of the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan. “I decided to take Jack to see the Glass House. He was the only child on the tour, but that did not stop him from asking lots of questions,” she remembers. “When we got home, he announced that now he wanted to go see Falling Water, the Frank Lloyd Wright house outside Pittsburgh, PA. We went there just before camp last year. Again, the only child on the tour, he asked more questions than anyone, and took a million pictures of even the smallest details.” Both years at SUNY Purchase’s Young Architects program, Jack made single-family homes with a focus on incorporating technology. “The first year, I concentrated on making my house as cool as possible”, he said. Complete with holographic walls and a transporter room, it was “pure fantasy”, a house that “you might be able to build in the 31st century.” Looking back a year later, Jack realized that the structure “turned out more ugly than cool” and had various design flaws such as a flat roof and “too large of grounds” around the structure. This year, Jack wanted to make something “more architectural, not just a random building.” He decided to make an “eco-friendly” house complete with wind and solar power. It was much smaller than his previous project because “bigger houses are less green”, he explained. Jack also paid more attention to the exterior grounds; “I tried to keep trees away from the windmill.” His parents were very impressed he and the other students had even discussed how much it would cost to build this house. Jack’s mother was very pleased he decided to attend the program for a second year. “The kids learn so many basic skills in two, short weeks – drafting, drawing, AutoCAD. Jack had so much more confidence this year; even the way he drew lines had more authority.” Jack also noticed a difference. “Last year, I was just getting used to everything. This year, I was much better.” Ironically, the one area that Jack thought was harder this year was the technology, AutoCAD. He attributed this to having chosen a more complicated room with more objects in it. However, out of this difficult experience, he had an idea to improve AutoCAD: if the user could download a picture of the object into AutoCad, or download manufacturing information from the web, AutoCad could upload measurements and other information. Now that camp has ended, Jack has brought his experience full circle. He has begun to build his eco-friendly house on Minecraft. These are just two of the individuals who have participated in the program over the past three years, and the level of skill and interest grows each year. In closing, we as individuals and as Architects, should be aware of the impact we have on others and take advantage of the opportunities set before us. You never know, you may impact the future of one or of many. When sitting on a plane during a business trip or on a job site at a school, you may interact with the Future Architect.


I believe one of the enduring legacies for our profession in the wake of the ‘great recession’ is the regression of a diverse and growing architectural workforce. Various studies have begun to suggest our profession has essentially lost an incremental component or sub-generations of young, mid-level and senior architects.

In my own experience we have seen this reality manifest itself in various forms. This includes reducing our staff by 50% from 2009 through 2012. I have witnessed a majority of this group move away from the architectural profession into allied opportunities and heard numerous stories of architectural graduates from 2008 through 2013 never entering the profession. I suspect both of these groups never return to our profession. In this issue of ArchPLUS we are emphasizing the notion of mentoring. Mentoring has long been an important segment of professional development as recognized by various professional entities including the AIA and as more formerly structured by NCARB. Perhaps now more than ever the important effort of nurturing the next generation of architects is more important than ever. This mission extends far beyond focusing on recent graduates. This mission includes pursuing lost professionals and a segment of professionals

who have found themselves in a career development ‘eddy’. AIA and NCARB have specifically begun to seriously address how our profession defines, promote and administers the term ‘Architect’ and licensure. We have finally come to realize that how we recognize our young professionals and guide them to professional advancement has been sadly flawed … especially in comparison to how the rest of the world accomplishes mentoring and growth in the architectural profession. Mentoring now requires new strategies, means and methods. Mentoring needs to recognize that a diverse architectural profession not only refers to the cultural make up of our workforce it includes fostering diverse skill sets within our workforce. The concept of maintaining a workforce with diverse skill sets is not new or profound but it is a point of emphasis somehow lost in the past 20 years reaching a crescendos during the ‘great recession’. Towards this discussion, we have gathered a diverse set of content for this issue. For those of you just beginning to become familiar with ArchPLUS I encourage you to read this issue cover to cover and perhaps add to the dialog in future issues. We look forward to hearing your thoughts regarding mentoring either through additional commentary or as robust chat at a future chapter event.

By JOHN FRy, AIA, LeeD AP BD+C

President’s Perspective

Fostering the Next Generation of Architects

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Membership Enhancement

your AIA Board at WorkThe Board held their annual strategic Planning Retreat this past July at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Pocantico Center in Tarrytown. They had a full day examining the events of the past year, and how to continue to enhance membership value through future events, seminars, lectures, tours, the website and ArchPLUS. Invited Guests included Kim Miller, AIA, Nick Viazzo, Associate AIA, Michael Shilalie, AIA (Past President), and Laurence Barille, PE. During their lunch break, the

attendees also had the unique opportunity to explore some of the rarely seen buildings and landscaped areas led by RBF Staff Architect, Kim Miller. It was an exciting and inspiring day with lively conversation and great contributions coming from our current board members, young architects, past presidents, and professional affiliates. Numerous ideas emerged from the retreat, which will be unveiled over the course of the next three years.

Phot

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y Ja

son

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On Thursday June 5th, the AIAWHV Chapter held an exclusive building tour event for our chapter members at Westchester Airport in Purchase, NY. The event featured a tour of the LEED Platinum Corporate Aviation Facility designed by Sullivan Architecture. A reception period was held prior to the tour with food and refreshments. A tour was then led by Milt Hobbes, where the group was led through the entire facility and was informed of the many sustainable aspects of the design including the large scale solar array, vegetated roof, rain water recovery/gray water system, interior finishes and the first wind turbines in the Westchester County. Insight into the design process, construction process and user occupancy was relayed through many great explanations and anecdotes from the tour guide. Tour attendees were able to visit the green roof in addition to all interior spaces. A question and answer period was held at the completion of the tour offering attendees the opportunity to speak with various members of the design team and client. A large attendance of over 30 people speaks to the success of the event. We were happy to respond to the interest that associate chapter members have expressed in having building tour events and look forward to organizing more in the future. Kudos to Sullivan Architecture on a great project and many thanks to Jaclyn Tyler and John Fry for facilitating the tour.

By KeN BAVIeLLO, ASSOC. AIA

Emerging Professionals

All Access Building TourEP's are still having big fun


Website Update: The Department of State is currently developing a rule that would amend Uniform Code by adding provisions that would allow a building to be used on a temporary basis for a use not consistent with the building’s existing occupancy classification, provided that the building satisfies certain safety-related requirements.

The Department of State invites public participation in the rule development process.

If adopted, the rule would amend the Uniform Code by adding a new section 1228.3 to 19 NYCRR. The new section 1228.3 would allow a building to be used on a temporary basis for a use not consistent with the building’s existing occupancy classification, provided that the building satisfies certain safety-related requirements. The owner of a building would be required to apply to the Authority Having Jurisdiction for a Temporary Alternative Use Permit authorizing the alternative use. Only buildings with certain existing occupancy classifications will be eligible for a Temporary Alternative Use Permit, and only certain temporary uses will be allowed. The duration of the Temporary Alternative Use Permit would be limited to 60 days in a 12 month period. However, the alternative use of a building (or portion of a building) not exceeding 400 square feet for a mercantile use will be allowed to exceed 60 days in a 12 month period if the longer duration is approved by the local code enforcement official. If the proposed alternative use will have an occupant load of 50 or more, a written fire safety plan will be required.

The Uniform Code currently contains no provisions allowing a building to be used on a temporary basis for a use not consistent with the building’s existing occupancy classification. As a result, the owner of a building who wants to use the building for an alternative use is forced to choose between bringing the building into compliance with all Uniform Code requirements applicable to the alternative use, or not conducting the alternative use. DOS believes that there are instances where a building owner elects to conduct the alternative use without bringing the building into compliance with the code requirements applicable to the alternative use and without notice to, or input from, the local code enforcement official. New section 1228.3 will provide a means to allow an alternative use without bringing the building into compliance with all code

requirements applicable to the alternative use, provided that the building satisfies the safety-related requirements specified in new section 1228.3.

The rule is being developed in response to maple producers who wanted to open their maple syrup facilities to the public to conduct tours, sell products and hold events such as pancake breakfasts as a way to promote their businesses. However, the draft rule would not be limited to maple syrup facilities. The draft rule will allow a wide variety of buildings to be used for a wide variety of temporary uses.

A draft rule is available online.

The Department of State invites all interested parties, particularly those representing small businesses, local governments, and public or private interests in rural areas, to participate in the rule development process. Interested parties are invited to submit comments on the draft rule. If you have suggestions on how the draft rule could be improved, suggested alternatives to the draft rule that the Department of State could consider, or any other comments on the draft rule, please contact Mark Blanke, P.E., Assistant Director for Code Development, by mail at New York State Department of State Division of Administration and Enforcement, 99 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12231-0001; by telephone at (518)-474-4073; or by e mail at [email protected]

NOTE: The draft rule has not yet been proposed or adopted, and the Uniform Code has not yet been amended to include the proposed section 1228.3.

Code Corner

New Code Rule in Development

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All too often, parties to construction projects seek ways to limit their exposure. Indemnification is a commonly used mechanism that parties use to shift responsibility to others at the outset of a project. Indemnification is the assumption of responsibility and liability that would otherwise belong to someone else.

It has become the norm for owners to include broad indemnification clauses in contracts with architects and contractors in order to shift responsibility for damages and ensure that any damages they may incur are paid for by others. Many contracts include clauses which require architects to pay for all damages, including attorney’s fees and expenses, for any mistake. Before signing contracts which contain broad indemnification clauses, an architect should fully assess the consequences. Every project has risk, regardless of the size and scope. Those risks could include property damage, cost to repair and or redesign the project or the expenses associated with a serious personal injury. Many damages are not necessarily related to the services of a design professional. In a typical claim against a design professional, if the architect is deemed responsible, the architect will be required to pay damages. Those damages would be in direct proportion to the degree of fault attributable to the architect and the impact on the damages sustained. Therefore, when negotiating an indemnification clause, it is imperative that the architect limit his or her ultimate liability to the extent the conduct causes the damage or injury. It is also important to consider the impact of an indemnification provision on available professional liability coverage. Most professional liability policies do not provide coverage for attorney’s fees. Therefore, by entering into indemnification agreements, architects may face personal exposure to satisfy the legal fee component of a demand for indemnification.

In the event an architect agrees to indemnify an owner, it is recommended that the architect seek reciprocal indemnification from the owner for their level of responsibility for damages. In many cases, an owner may also be willing to require the contractor to indemnify the architect in the event that the contractor is at fault. Such indemnification language is generally not an expense to the owner, and it may be prudent to approach the owner about including such a clause in its agreement with the contractor to provide the architect with an added level of protection. There are nuances to indemnification clauses that can have significant legal and economic ramifications. Accordingly, it is recommended that you exercise extreme caution before agreeing to assume such responsibility. Mr. Kosakoff, a Construction Lawyer, and Partner with Sinnreich Kosakoff & Messina, LLP, in Central Islip, New York. David serves as General Counsel for Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter of the AIA. He typically represents architects in all facets of their practice and can be appointed by request by Professional Liability Carriers if the architect is named in a lawsuit. He can be reached at [email protected]

By DAVID B. KOSAKOFF, eSq.

Legal Corner

INDeMNITy: Providing Protection For OthersIn a typical claim against a design professional, if the architect is deemed responsible, the architect will be required to pay damages.

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The day I had a mustard sandwich for lunch was the last straw for my intern that summer: she went back to working in retail. Although it had high ceilings and huge windows, my office in an old rooftop mechanical space wasn’t very glamorous and I guess it seemed like I never took a break. She made beautiful models and I regret that she was inspired to leave the field of Architecture. It is much more rewarding to help young designers find their voice and pursue their dream of becoming an architect. Teaching a design studio at the New York City College of Technology (NYCCT) has been that positive experience. The NYCCT Architectural Technology curriculum integrates the foundations of design principles with a broad knowledge of building technologies and the software to support both disciplines. This program is nearly the direct converse of my own architectural education: I studied mathematics as an undergraduate and at Harvard’s GSD, we only dealt with the conceptual. I wrote my thesis on a cubic Apple Macintosh, but computers were not used in the design process. In those early days of the digital revolution, we were still considering the effects of the industrial revolution, with readings from Sennett and Proust. Looking back at my Master’s thesis, and looking beyond the tortured title “A Seduction and the Redemption of Order: A New York Bioterium”, I realize that I still believe in its premise: that progressive change comes through the acquisition of knowledge.

And that an i n d i v i d u a l is capable of discerning order amid the many facets of daily e x p e r i e n c e . That’s what architects do - posit order, instigate change. Perhaps the most basic fact about mentoring others is that the transaction is bi-directional: you

get as much as you give. Maybe more. My students come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and countries. I am challenged to re-examine my own principles and theories about design and the nature of creativity. I must also find ways of communicating with people with very different levels of preparation and education. I receive clarification from re-stating my own thesis and the students are encouraged to establish their own. The mid-level design studio I teach consists of three projects: a sketch problem for a pavilion; a program-based project, often a health club; and a museum. The brevity of the pavilion project forces observations about the site and design decisions to be made quickly and a student’s design personality is usually evident almost immediately. The complex program of the second project requires more analysis of the elements and they must visit and document a similar facility. The museum program is a little more flexible and allows even greater personal expression. Cramming three projects into the 15 week semester allows us to go through the creative process several times: Research, information gathering, documentation of site, precedent and program, the identification of a theme or parti. Each time, I ask the student to make a statement of the “problem” and then execute a solution. Many of my students are not familiar with the creative process at its most fundamental level – the acts of synthesis and inspiration that go into the making of something new. Some are surprised to be asked for their own ideas, new to the role of “fixer” or “maker”. I am very conscious in the studio to meet each student where they are in the process and it is a thrill to see their eyes light up with excitement when an idea takes hold. Then they can tap into the perpetual motion machine that is the design process. One of the greatest compliments I can get from a student is their gratitude for the chance to explore their own designs. I have helped students find inspiration in yoga, in the evolution of the brain, in nature and in machines. Those whose inspiration is more abstract struggle more to make a real solution, but every project is expected to meet the program requirements and respond to the site. All the projects must have fire stairs! Practical training, including building technologies, codes and principles of planning are basic requirements for any designer’s education. Facility with software and other modes of quantification and representation is a must. But for me, learning the creative process is crucial to a student’s training. Because it is not enough to merely represent the complexity of the modern world; meeting functional requirements

By eLIZABeTH PARKS, AIA

Feature

Mentoring: The Future is TheirsAspiring architects need a chance to find their voice, write their manifesto- and get feedback!


is not enough. We must find a new way of providing the dynamic stability necessary to thrive. For that, we all need to use our brains. The digital revolution has changed the way we do almost everything and resulted in deep, nearly chaotic complexity. This is a destructive scenario, out of balance with the human condition and out of synchronicity with ecology. In this post-everything world, we seem to have infinity at our fingertips and yet be unsure what path to take. Successful solutions will require thoughtful participation from many, and the forms they take may be surprising. On my first day of architecture school our class assembled in the studio to hear the instructor’s introduction. He was nervous and I thought his message a bit paranoid at the time: “The young will overtake the old”. It seemed then a reflection of his own insecurity but I realize now the truth and inherent optimism of his words. I am confident the next generation of designers will be able to weave a vision of the future sufficiently flexible and informationally deep that it is truly sustainable. Aspiring architects need a chance to find their voice, write their manifesto. And then get some feedback! Mentoring has been a part of the tradition of architectural education from the beginning, often casting the student in the role of acolyte to a high priest of design. This paradigm must be transformed along with the practice of architecture to respond to the vastly more complex and pluralistic reality that we live in. The world needs visionary architects but that’s visionary with a small ‘v’. Aspiring architects don’t need to be indoctrinated, they need to be encouraged to research relevant information and explore possible solutions as they unfold. Competency in representation and communication form the basis and the foundation, of any architectural education, but design is not simply an act of computation or facility with software: one’s brain is still the best tool. Led by intention and tempered with the feedback from others,

each of us has the ability to make real change happen – as mentors and as designers. Architecture can change who we are and visionary architects can change the world. For good.

Post Scripts: 1. Harvard’s Graduate School of Design held a symposium titled “Grounded Visionaries” in September, which remarked on “Elements of Architecture” by Rem Koolhaas GSD Professor of Practice in Architecture and Urban Design.2. NYCCT was awarded a National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education Grant in 2011 for the integration of digital technologies into the architectural and engineering curriculum, focusing on BIM, advanced computation and fabrication. A hands-on workshop introducing these methodologies will be part of the AIA NYS Design Conference held in Saratoga Springs October 9-11.



By NASIM GAFUR

Growing up, I remember always going to see different houses with my Dad, seeing raised ranches, skyscrapers and mansions made of imported marble. It’s no wonder I have a passion for architecture and the magic of seeing my drawings come to life for people to enjoy. My name is Nasim Gafur and I am an architecture student. While in middle and high school I was an active student and often participated in challenging the political influences which directly affected our educational system. In my Bronx middle school classmates and I argued against politicians who wanted to implement budget cuts to my school. We articulated the problems the school would face through budget cuts and ultimately assisted our school in maintaining its budget. Educational challenges continued during my high school years in the South Bronx as members of the Board of Education proposed to phase the school out. The high school was a trade school which offered a broad range of programs including an architecture program in which I was registered. Upon completion of the curriculum students not only received a high school diploma but were also able to receive certain certifications that would help secure jobs which could later lead to careers. Ultimately even with programs and incentives the school offered he Board of Education phased the school out. I was unable to graduate at the high school in the south Bronx and after my sophomore year I moved to Poughkeepsie, NY where I finished my last two years of High School at Arlington High School. While there, I was introduced to their engineering program, and enjoyed it. I was able to incorporate my design ideas and drawings into actual engineering projects which included building race cars [with a chainsaw motor] and a trebuchet. After graduating high school I continued following my passion for architecture at Dutchess Community College. While at DCC we learned a lot about the design process starting with a simple box project and progressed to a building design project students had to completely design themselves. One of my favorite projects was a main street project in which my classmates and I had to design a connecting building that bridged the gap between the hustle and bustle of Main Street and calmness and serenity of a nature walk. We were challenged to use green building techniques and to get ideas from LEED certified buildings. Some of the things my classmates and I brought to the design were the three tier design system, photo voltaic systems, and green roof technology. I particularly enjoyed the critique process which gave me the opportunity to hear feedback on what I can do to further develop my ideas and make my buildings better. I think the hardest thing in

any profession is reaching out of your comfort zone and striving to progress your own ideas and the ideas of others.Recently I have just finished an engineering internship with Jacobs Consultancy working on laboratory designs and planning. This job really helped me improve my Revit and AutoCAD skills; one of my hardest tasks was to create universal casework families in Revit which allows Jacobs to have one set of casework organized in a single reference point rather than everyone having their own as it is now. Doing this should help with the productivity of the work and allow the company to function more accurately and efficiently than before. I am also considering an internship with Peri FormWork systems in hopes to better understand concrete forms and shoring, along with the many uses of concrete and how to structurally engineer and properly use the material. Now after two years of College and an Associate’s Degree in Architecture and construction management, and the conclusion of my first internship, I am even more determined to become licensed and start my own practice. At the end of the day I enjoy architecture, I have a passion for it. The saying is “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” And I believe it to be true. Being passionate about my work and engulfing myself in it is something I enjoy, to me it’s not a drawing on a piece of paper, its hard work, determination, and helping to provide people with a place to go. Whether it’s their home, a hospital, a shelter, I would know that I helped someone out there and maybe I even made their life a little easier.

Nasim is a sophomore in college: [email protected].

Photo, from left: Pelin Akman, Manny Andrade, AIAWHV Treasurer, Nasim Gafur. Pelin and Nasim are 2014 recipients of an AIAWHV Annual Scholarship.

What I’ve done in Architecture (so far)...

College Perspecitve

“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” And I believe it to be true.


On June 20th State lawmakers closed the books on the 237 Legislative Session, completing a two-year cycle in which over 10,000 bills were introduced; 1,200 sent to the Governor, of which about three-quarters will become law. The vast majority of the bills introduced are indifferent to the practice and business of our profession. That being said, with so many bills being pushed or fought every year by some 4,000 special interest groups – spending an aggregate of $200 million in lobbying expenditures in the process – AIA New York State must remain vigilant and relevant in the eyes of public policy-makers. This vigilance is sharpened and honed with year-round government advocacy efforts and with an engaged membership. Contrary to popular belief, lawmakers continue working after the close of the six month legislative session. All 213 legislators returned to their home districts to manage their community offices and ramp up for what figures to be a bruising round of state and federal elections. Just as legislators and other interests grind along, architects must also continue to engage their communities and the policy-makers that manage them. Developing strong civic ties to your community and with elected officials can produce a wealth of personal and professional opportunities. In his book Professional Practice: A Guide to Turning Designs into Buildings, author Paul Segal, FAIA, notes that one of the best methods of attracting clients is learning how to develop a civic network. Building a reputation within the community as a concerned neighbor and an architect, serves the dual purpose of serving the community, while advertising your expertise. Leading by example, Paul Segal, FAIA, was a participant in this year’s Architects in Albany Lobby Day held in April. The government advocacy efforts of AIANYS will not cease moving into the second-half of 2014. Outreach to our legislative champions continues, as we thank them for their efforts

in moving our agenda forward, and for stopping detrimental legislation. The AIANYS Public Sector Practice Committee continues to hold collaborative meetings with various state agencies and other construction industry organizations. These meetings typically cover a broad range of substantive topics related to procurement, project delivery, design delegation, and construction site management. AIANYS will continue to facilitate and support in-district meetings between members and their state legislators. Last year, AIANYS synthesized legislative contact and policy information into a Chapter Advocacy Toolkit, designed and tailored for individual chapter use. Looking to build on grassroots organization, AIANYS envisions the development of a series of Local Lobby Days to help build civic relationships and train members how to be effective advocates. Over the summer and into the fall, the organization will assess the legislative program and solicit input from membership regarding their top priorities. Members’ policy concerns can never truly be met without participation, engagement, and communication. A day in the life of an architect, and his or her interaction with government, is precisely the information AIANYS needs to form a well-rounded legislative program. Participation and volunteering time in the community, in plain view of those with influence, can match or exceed the pursuits of the most entrenched and well-funded interests. As the second largest state component in the country, AIANYS has the numbers to be a force in the profession and stand out among our industry colleagues. Clients and the general public are better off when the architect leads. Your practice and the profession will be better off when you lead. AIANYS is here to help make that happen.

Mike Burridge is the AIANY State Government Advocacy Coordinator.

By MIKe BURRIDGe

AIA Updates

AIANyS and you: Why Advocacy and Civic Engagement Matter More Than ever


By WeNDy PeReZ yOUNG

Have you been asked to make a contribution to ArchiPAC, the AIA’s federal political action committee, wondered where your money went and what it did? The answer is simple: For Congress to take notice of our issues, architects need to be seen and heard. ArchiPAC connects AIA members with lawmakers through campaign events. By delivering a donation from ArchiPAC, AIA members build relationships with candidates, putting a face on the profession and bringing awareness to issues important to architects. The AIA formed ArchiPAC more than three decades ago to support candidates for the U.S. House or Senate who champion AIA issues. By the end of June, sixty-two candidates running for the U.S. House or Senate in the 2014 election received a contribution from ArchiPAC. You can view a list of candidates receiving support on www.archipac.org/candidate-support. Decisions on which candidates ArchiPAC supports are made by a steering committee comprised of AIA members. They consider many factors, including: • Does the candidate share the same philosophy as the

AIA in promoting design and creating a better built environment?

• Has the candidate shown a willingness to include the AIA in discussions and debates?

• Doesthecandidatesitonacommitteethatisinfluencingpolicy related to AIA issues?

• Is the candidate in a leadership position to have more influenceonpolicy?

Party affiliation is not a criterion because the AIA must be able to work with both sides of the aisle to get legislation passed. With approximately 4,600 registered PACs in Washington, the AIA faces a lot of competing interests. Unfortunately, ArchiPAC is small in comparison to its counterparts, only receiving donations from nearly one percent of the AIA membership. In 2012, the average contribution per candidate from ArchiPAC was $1,629. By comparison, the Associated General Contractors of America’s PAC gave an average of $3,700 per

candidate and the National Association of Home Builders’ PAC gave $4,900 per candidate. While ArchiPAC only recently topped the $100,000 a year mark in receipts, AGC raises nearly half a million dollars and NAHB over a million dollars. Fewer resources means the AIA will have less opportunity to make itself heard, weakening its advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. By increasing donations to ArchiPAC, the AIA can better equip itself by developing relationships early, bringing awareness to its issues, and defending itself against opposing interest groups.

For more info go to: www.archipac.org

Wendy Perez-Young is the AIA National Manager of the Political Action Committee & Compliance. She can be reached at [email protected]

AIA Updates

ArchiPAC: What Have you Done For Me Lately?Fewer resources means the AIA will have less opportunity to make itself heard, weakening its Capitol Hill advocacy efforts



My studio was a plantology studio with its main focus on terraforming, bio mimicry and futuristic projections. So my project has aspects that can be constructed today and aspects that I am projecting will be able to happen in a few years with the advancement of technology in the field of self-adapting materials. A lot of buildings are designed with one intention. These buildings often become abandoned because they served out their purpose and are no longer relevant to the community. A huge part of the reason their service is no longer needed is because of the advances in technology; the more advanced we, as a civilization become, the more large industries become irrelevant to the city and therefore become abandoned. These abandoned sites start to put a strain on the city; they become holes in the city fabric. These blighted sites lower the economy of the city and have the potential to make surrounding buildings become abandoned as well leading to a decline of a once thriving city. Is there a way to design something that reacts to it’s environment, so that it doesn’t matter if we are no longer here and some other life form comes into existence? Designing for the future means designing a reactive and adapting building form. The design will be able to react and adapt to become relevant to them. My proposal will be able to assess the changing environment and networks of people in the surrounding city and be able to adapt and change the buildings use and morphology without having it be abandoned. How can we revitalize and redesign the already abandoned sites to allow them to adapt and keep adapting with the changing networks surrounding it? The cause of this abandonment is because of the failing networks that aren’t resilient enough to withstand when one node fails. We need to design resilient networks so that places won’t fail, but rather be flexible to be adapted and reorganized to the changing environment. Poughkeepsie was a major hub for industry and commerce which helped it connect with other blossoming cities. During the Industrial Revolution, this site was an iron yard and a very important part of the growth of the city. It’s location within the city and it’s large size allows for a greater potential of community interaction, which is a key factor in a thriving city. I chose this site because the site itself isn’t only a hole, but the surrounding roads are very seldom traveled. This leads to abandonment of surrounding

because there is no traffic flow. Since it is an industrial site, there are some levels of pollution. This usually leads to complications when trying to the reuse of the site, but for my proposal it created an opportunity for site adaptation. Because I was looking specifically at abandoned industrial sites, they each contained different levels of toxins. So I mapped out the most polluted areas and these spots become points where a scaffolding begins to converge to help cap the more polluted areas. The first set of scaffolding gets embedded into the ground, and as you can see the more polluted areas have more scaffolding to help cap those areas. The second set of scaffolding is a raised version of the scaffolding on the ground. The more polluted areas have higher scaffolding of 18 feet to allow those areas to become possible habitable structures. Whereas, the less polluted areas are open for all different types of activity. On the interior of the surviving abandoned structure, another set of scaffolding is put in place based on projected circulation through the site and buildings. There are two existing buildings. One of them is programed to be a cultural lab and the other one is programmed to be an innovation lab. These programs will help the city become connected to a larger scale of networks through the innovation in technology it is producing but also is able to strengthen its cultural networks on a local scale. The second phase of construction is where self-adapting material comes in. This material would have similar growth properties as crystal growth and bio-rock growth. There are two different types of self-adapting material growth, slow forming and faster forming. The faster forming growth is mainly for the interiors of the building and the slower forming growth is mainly for the exterior scaffolding where it can grow overtime and more specifically for the types of programs that happen on the site. This material has the potential to grow; into seating, walls, walkways and eventually even inhabitable structures. Starting out, this material will need help from humans to grow, but over time, through the technological advances from the innovation lab on the site, it will become a self-sustaining system of feedback loops that are constantly reading circulation through the site, the interaction with the inhabitants and scaffolding and also the networks that allow the system to thrive - thus eliminating future abandonment.

By CATLIN MCCABe

Feature

Plantology Studio: An Architecture Study2013 AIAWHV Scholarship recipient, shares a project from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute



Design and construction is certainly a collaborative effort. The days of the master builder crafting every detail with teams of underpaid laborers or worse, executing the master’s design, are certainly gone. Today a project is only as strong as its weakest link. The architect is certainly still the ring leader, but with so much to know (just look at the breath of the licensing test), he or she is dependent on a team of consultants and collaborators. Like it or not we consultants are married to architects and architecture.

I focus here on the relevance of the structural engineer in these relationships. Structural engineers are probably the closest “cousin” to the architect within the realm of building consultants. An architect is trained to create something out of nothing, an inherently creative field. The engineer, on the other hand, is trained to realize the architects’ creation. We never start from a blank piece of paper. The vast difference in our training is quite telling. Young architects are taught to think critically about a problem (public housing, a hotel on a complicated site, a cultural building intended to serve multiple needs of a community) and after having developed a concept and theme, develop a structure, on a particular site, that solves many problems and looks good too. The engineer is drilled in math, science, and problem solving and taught “first principles” which are supposed to give him/her guidance in any unique (non-text book) problem thrown to them.

To be fair, there is great creativity in all engineering. Solving a complex problem with a simple, novel, or clever solution is by definition a creative process that requires the full “art and science” of an engineer. So why are we relevant? An engineer may work on 10 projects for every 1 project that an architect works on due to roles we have. This is inherent to our industry as the architect must know something about all aspects of a construction project while the structural engineer is narrowly focused on defying gravity and resisting earthquakes and hurricanes. As a result, we

By CIRO CUONO, Pe

Structural Solutions

The Relevance of the Structural engineer

There may be a little bit of Howard Roark in all of us, but we aren’t interested in blowing anything up


are generally exposed to many more projects, over a career, than the architect. This exposure to more building types and variety gives us a rich experience that can be shared across teams. This is something that all consultants bring to a project’s team as our collective experiences on other projects and architectural types can be recycled to benefit new projects. In one sense we are more democratic as we are not held back by such labels, as classicist, modernist, preservationist, etc. Steel beams, weather they hold up a Palladian villa or low income post-modernist apartment complex don’t discriminate. There may be a little bit of “Howard Roark” in all of us, but we aren’t interested in blowing anything up – we want to build and create like our architectural collaborators, only in our own unique, logical, mathematical way. Engineers are still educated and trained to find the “least weight solution” – that is; make something work or solve a problem with the fewest material resources possible. This may work well in underdeveloped nations –not so much in our own. The simplest (often heaviest) solution with fewer parts and less labor is often the most cost effective. Our training in a certain sense makes us lazy. Lazy not in the everyday meaning but in the figurative sense that we are looking to find the least weight or most efficient solution without wasting time on other less efficient possibilities - “I am charged with designing a box – I will build the simplest most utilitarian and economical box I can”. While nothing is necessarily wrong with this, it might not always fulfill all requirements which can become quite complicated when a project demands that many (non-structural) criteria be met. For example, a community center over a contaminated site, in an urban setting, with complicated zoning regulations, has many criteria beyond just meeting wind loads within a hurricane zone. The astute architect will push his “lazy” and efficient engineer to consider the solutions from other points of view, to realize a better final product. Beyond communicating the usual criteria, the most successful teams involve all the consultants early on to gain their input and knowledge and educate them on the critical thinking involved in key early architectural decisions. Rather than driving up fees and costs by having more involvement by the engineers, this process can have the opposite effect. By having the engineers involved early, they can be relevant by having the opportunity to consider the options beyond the least weight and to bring other experiences and points of view to the table. This can result in solutions that are more cost effective in the long run.

Here are some quick and simple examples:

An existing industrial building is to be demolished to create a new community space. The whole team is involved early. The structural engineer works with the architect and others to identify components from the existing building that are technologically important from a historical point of view and can be effectively recycled and incorporated into the new structure as a real functioning transplant. The original components must be tested and retrofitted to meet the demands of modern codes, but the design team is able to successfully do so through early research and collaboration.

An architect planning a contemporary residence takes into consideration the site characteristics, emerging technologies for HVAC equipment, and decides to bring in a structural engineer early rather than waiting until she has advanced the architectural drawings to the DD or CD level stage. The engineer, not having to scramble to fit in a structure in a tight deadline, and in an already developed architecture with a preconceived structural layout uses the opportunity of being involved early to help suggest autoclave aerated concrete (AAC) structural walls to help meet energy demands and the client’s desire for environmentally friendly construction as well as a more effective column layout for cantilevered balconies. While these examples are a bit contrived, they make the point of our relevance to a successful architectural project. The more proactive structural engineers are not just “beam sizers” but active players in solving a variety of problems.

Ciro Cuono, P.E., LEED AP, is a structural engineer and principal at Cuono Engineering PLLC, Port Chester, NY. and assistant adjunct professor of structural engineering at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of architecture at the The City College of NY. He can be reached at [email protected].

XYLO CORPORATIONGeneral Construction: Residential, Retail, Commercial

76 Westchester Square, Bronx NY 10461Phone: 718-892-0676Email: [email protected]


North American residential construction has been predominantly of wood since the settlement of this continent four centuries ago. Forests once covered most of the land area providing settlers convenient, durable material for the relatively rapid erection of wood-framed structures. Much of the technology was brought here from Europe by the earliest settlers and the technology was developed and improved; i.e.: timber construction, then balloon frame, followed by platform frame construction. The earlier construction often involved the insertion of bricks, lumber, etc. into the framed spaces recognizing the need to provide mass to store heat. This practice was developed in Medieval Europe as it was realized the hollow frame could be improved. The high mass of stone and brick structures proved to be superior in retaining heat in cold weather. The concept of thermal resistance came into its own in the late 19th century. Various materials were tried to fill the air space between the inside finish and exterior sheathing/siding, weather boards, etc. Old newsprint was popular as well as wood scraps. They learned through trial and error that one substance worked better than another. In the early 20th century, manufacturers realized that money could be made making products to fill the voids between wood framing members. Paper and wood added to the combustibility and fire load of wood frame structures so a reasonable goal for a product to provide thermal resistance was to make a filler that would not support combustion and not add to the fire load, and perhaps protect combustible construction. In the 1930’s the Rockwool company improved the science. Many structures constructed in the 1930’s through the post-war building boom were insulated with Rockwool which is still a superior insulation material but primarily used for mechanical insulation, today. Shortly after World War 2, fiberglass came on the scene. It was lighter, less messy and less costly than Rockwool. It is the primary insulating material in use today.

Foam InsulationWith the cost of energy, having increased 1500 % in the last 30 years, and the desire to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere, the science of insulation is still in flux. Fiberglass has half the thermal resistance of modern foam insulation materials. However, polyurethane, polystyrene, and polyisocyanurate foams have the same problem in wood construction as the early materials, they are combustible. Not only combustible, but a fuel made from petroleum. When these materials combust, intense heat is given off, as well as carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen cyanide, acetaldehyde, acetone, propene, CO2, and alkenes. - Surely a witches brew. It produces dense, black acrid smoke that hampers escape in a fire as well as impeding firemen. The insulation industry hangs their hat on ASTM E84, ASTM E119 and ANSI UL 1256 and Factory Mutual 4450. Some or all of these tests are predicated on a fire exposure temperature of about 250 degrees F. This is only valid if a building contents fire promises not to exceed 250 degrees F. The kindling temperature of wood framing is about 475 degrees, - far higher than the foam. ANSI UL 1256 involves the shaving of foam flush with the inside face of the roof framers and then covered with a fire rated covering such as Type X gypsum board. This effectively leaves no room for air for combustion. Again, this is valid for a contents fire generating no more than 250 degrees F. Once the temperature reaches 270 degrees F, things start to happen. First the material begins to give off a combustible gas. At temperatures slightly above that, foam liquefies and then self-combusts. By that time the liquefied foam has contracted in volume, has begun to flow out, the space left over is taken up with air which will support the combustion. The flaming “tar” coats the wood, making it more combustible, and at that point, the flaming “tar” can pour down rafter spaces and endanger occupants and fire fighters. The assumption that a fire exposure to foam would not

By ROBeRT W. POLLACK, RA

Feature

Building Insulation: a Science in Development From the day that packages of fiberglass batts or blankets are delivered to a construction site, the sealed package is opened and the R value of that insulation begins to degrade.


exceed 250 degrees F is completely untenable as wood structures will not burn until the surface of wood reaches about 475 degrees F. And that must happen each time a wood framed structure burns. There have been recent improvements in the ignition temperature of polyiso foam with the ignition temperature being raised to about 450 degrees F allowing the manufacturers to claim that a fire rated barrier is not required. However, it is still highly combustible, and once it does ignite, acts the same as the other foam plastic versions.

Another Problem with Foam InsulationSeveral years ago, a contact I met who was heavily involved in the foam insulation industry told me that the industry had a huge problem and no one could explain it. It seems that the industry was holding-off lawsuits amounting to millions of dollars which they were settling out of court to keep the problem quiet. It involved hundreds of wood-framed homes that had been recently constructed. He said a respected laboratory had been retained to study the problem. Occasionally, wood frame structures would collapse under their own weight where foam insulation was employed. This happened a year or two after a structure was erected. Thinking about this problem, I surmised that the structures were built with green lumber. If you have ever seen foam applied against other objects, it creeps and expands into every crack and void, effectively sealing the moisture into the green framers where a “petri dish” promotes the growth of bacteria that ultimately destroys the framing members. When I phoned him a month later and I told him what I thought may be causing the decay, he informed me that their laboratory came up with the same conclusion.

My involvementI have been developing systems and methods to ventilate moisture from the fibrous insulation mass for the last ten years. Fiberglass, cellulose, Rockwool and polyester loft are the fibrous materials used for building insulation. Of these, fiberglass and Rockwool are” non-combustible”. I believe that they provide a certain amount of fire protection to wood construction. Rockwool is no longer popular as building thermal insulation leaving fiberglass as the dominant “non-combustible” insulation in the construction industry, where wood is used for framing. However, the fiberglass insulation manufacturers have been treating fiberglass with a moisture inhibitor, like paraffin, indicating that they knew they had a problem. Unfortunately, this substance has rendered fiberglass combustible with a 0-25 flamespread. Without the moisture inhibitor, fiberglass is non-combustible. When I received my first patent involved with devices and systems to ventilate fiberglass insulation, I became conversant with a gentleman at U.S DOE. He was the head of Building Envelope Design for DOE. It was his job to set the required R values for buildings and inform ICC to “up” the R values in the next Series of Building Codes. I submitted my patent to him for his evaluation. He intimated to me that he was “less than thrilled”, that as far as he was concerned only the foams would achieve the DOE’s goals of almost no energy loss or gain - certainly a noble goal. He said that

he expected to be requiring a roof or ceiling framing R value of R 60 and R 40 for walls within several years. That was about seven years ago. R values for wood residential exterior walls and roofs have not been increased since then. In wood-framed residential structures R-38 in roofs and R-19 in exterior walls have remained unchanged. This is equal to the maximum thickness of fiberglass that can be accommodated with 2x12 rafters and 2x6 studs. I believe the fire protective agencies did not want to force residents to sleep in combustible construction with highly combustible insulation. These precautions do not appear to be applied in non-combustible construction or uses that accommodate occupants that are awake during occupancy, such as Office Buildings, Stores and other non-residential structures. These types of buildings are usually equipped with smoke and heat detectors and sprinklers. If a homeowner desires to install thermally superior foam insulation despite the additional hazard of fire, mandatory improvements to alarm systems and possibly the addition of sprinklers should be considered or required. Further improvements to foam should address the combustibility issue. Perhaps a foam glass that is cost- competitive with other materials could be developed. I will end this portion with an excerpt from an OSHA publication:

“All organic cellular plastics, whether or not they contain fire retardants, should be considered combustible and handled accordingly.”

The Problem with FiberglassIn addition to the lower thermal resistance as compared to foam insulations, fiberglass and other fibrous insulations acquire moisture. From the day that packages of fiberglass batts or blankets are delivered to a construction site, the sealed package is opened and the insulation is installed between wood framers, the R value of that insulation begins to degrade. An insulation manufacturer declares the R value in the factory, where relative humidity is extremely low. It is packaged, shipped, and installed and commences to degrade. Initially, the environmental humidity begins to be absorbed into the mass.


It is then installed into a framed wall or roof cavity and before long sealed into the cavity with gypsum board and possibly a vapor barrier under the wallboard. This is only the beginning of the decay. The sheathing/siding and wallboard / vapor barrier seal the insulation mass into a chamber with wood framers that are sopping wet. It is not uncommon for a green stud to weigh two to three times the weight of the same stud allowed to air dry for several months. That difference in weight represents water that is sealed into the framing space with the insulation. Builders like to use wet framers because they are compliant and easily aligned. Dry lumber has a mind of its own. This usually means that wood framers which are bundled together at the mill, absorb additional moisture while sitting outside in depots and lumber yards, arrive at a job site, and are employed in framing structures minutes after being removed from the sopping wet bundles. The wood only has a week or so of drying time, once the building is erected and the framing spaces sealed. It takes several months to remove excess moisture by air drying. With large projects, the drying process is allowed even less time. This moisture has only one place to go, into the relatively dry insulation mass. The combustible moisture inhibitor is almost inconsequential as the coated glass fibers are hydrophobic, by their nature. Right from the start, long before an occupant begins conditioning his or her space, the thermal resistance, required by code is diminished to, likely less than half of the R value required by the Code. This situation makes that aspect of the Energy Code a farce. Then interior and exterior environmental contributions of moisture and leaks over the years degrade the insulation further. It should be noted that insulated ceiling joists with a ventilated attic over is already sustainable construction. As an architect, involved with hundreds of alterations and additions to wood frame dwellings, over the last almost 50 years, I have experienced many glaring examples of super saturated fiberous insulation. A good example was an addition I designed for a home in Larchmont, years ago. The job involved the removal of a very large roof and finished attic, on a 70 year old ranch. Apparently, the large attic was finished for Bed Rooms less than 20 years prior. The Owner wanted full height Bed Rooms which required that the entire roof had to be removed, and the new, sistered second floor joists, walls and roof framing had to be installed in one day and then covered with tarps to protect the occupants and their possessions. Closure would be the next day. There was only one day of guaranteed good weather and the contractor was to employ over a dozen carpenters. The crisp, cool, October morning arrived along with a cloudless sky and almost 20 men. I arrived on the job at 10 am only to be greeted by a neighborhood swarming with firemen and fire apparatus, hoses hooked to all the neighborhood

hydrants. As the carpenters ripped-off the roofing and sheathing, plumes of water vapor rose from the warm, damp roof insulation and went several stories into the sky. Neighbors from several blocks away reported a massive fire. The attic had only been insulated recently, as pink Raft-R-Mate with ventilating gaps was attached to the ripped-off sheathing. It was after this event, that I became proactive regarding the ventilation of fibrous insulation. I have seen this problem repeated time and again. I impulsively reach into a newly-opened exterior wall’s insulation mass to sense the degree of moisture and almost always find it to be damp or worse. In talking to contractors and carpenters for their experiences with damp insulation, an example that has popped- up time and again, is the necessity to use garden rakes to scoop steaming- hot roof insulation out of rafter spaces during the demolition phase of an

alteration,as roof temperatures make it impossible to touch by hand without scalding. Obviously, dry insulation does not have that problem. Black Mold.

I have been called in by many home owners regarding problems with staining of wall and ceiling surfaces and more seriously, Strachybotrys Atra, or black mold. Most occupants allow the mold to grow long after respiratory problems of the family appear. The insulation behind these manifestations, is dripping wet

and usually results in some structural repairs, new insulation, and wallboard. While I do not know whether I have witnessed it, as I am still alive, if Strachybotrys is left to grow long enough, a fungus affixes itself to the outside of the mold and generates cyanide gas. If an occupant is in an enclosed space with the resultant cyanide, death ensues. I have not read data regarding deaths but have been assured that this is true.

My SolutionsOver the last 30 years, I have been trying to get the Fiberglass Industry to improve their products to make them sustainable. The standard reply from all of the major manufacturers was “There is no need to ventilate fiberglass insulation”. I informed them that their products such as Raft-R-Mate and its cousins do


not ventilate roof insulation, but effectively prevent ventilation of insulation as the air passages under roof sheathing are sealed at their outside edges preventing ventilation of the insulation. Prior to the introduction of these devices, the State Construction Code advised that as insulation was stapled between rafters, a hand had to pat-down the top of the mass to provide a ventilation space. As required thicknesses have increased, a device was needed to insure ventilation under the roof sheathing and Raft-R-Mate, etc.. were introduced. The simple perforation of that product would provide ventilation for insulation and cost the Industry almost nothing, but it was never done. The devices I have patented are affixed to the inside of roof or exterior wall sheathing and will provide full time ventilation insuring thermal resistance values as originally designed and intended in new and existing structures. The condition of this insulation will be maintained for the life of the structure. That is the definition of “sustainable”. In the process, I have a patent pending for a product that is inserted in the framing spaces of structures built of green lumber and are to receive foam insulation. It permits green,wet framing members, and wet sheathing to vent to the outside thus mitigating frame rotting. The goals listed by my contact at DOE for almost no energy use can be achieved with fiberglass insulation. I have a patent pending for framing extenders that will deepen framers to accommodate any thickness of insulation beyond the depths afforded by standard dimensional lumber. These devices will function in conjunction with the ventilation measures I have referred-to.

BenefitstoVentilatingFibrousInsulationVentilation of insulation will keep the thermal resistance of fibrous insulating materials at their maximum for the life of the structure. The movement of air will occur continuously and be caused by natural convective flow under wall and roof sheathing. No power is required. The use of moisture inhibitors in fiberglass and cellulose insulation will be unnecessary rendering them safer and fiberglass non-combustible, again. Dry insulation will develop and maintain maximum R values, reducing the amount of energy needed to heat and cool interior spaces. This will result in thousands of dollars a year saved by building Owners. The “pay back” for investments for building improvements will be in a year or two. In new construction, the pay back occurs in six months. After that the benefits will only increase as the cost of energy increases. As the convective air flow increases the possibility of convective heat loss, an air barrier under the wall finish is imperative along with barrier type junction boxes or caulking or foaming of standard boxes, lighting fixtures and other penetrations. This should be done in every structure, anyway. The resultant reduction of consumed energy will result in lower CO2 and other pollutants to our atmosphere. Mold growth should be reduced or eliminated, reducing respiratory illness and damage to property. Even moisture damage due to internal events such as plumbing leaks, envelope failure and pipe sweating will be reduced.

“Horror Vacui”Aristotle observed that “Nature abhors a vacuum.” A dry sponge wants to be a wet sponge and by extension, dry fibrous insulation wants to be wet insulation and will absorb every molecule of moisture it can until totally saturated whether or not the manufacturers treat their products with moisture inhibitors. Ventilation of fibrous insulation is fighting a force of nature. It can be accomplished by acknowledging the problem exists and then employing relatively simple and economical solutions.

Additional reading: There was a thesis for a Master of Science in Forest Products by Kevin Brian Knight at Virginia Polytechnic Institute dated January 18, 2012, 150 pp. involving destructive effects to wood frame construction due to insulation meeting “green” insulating standards with controlled laboratory tests using kiln dried lumber – not wet green lumber – and examining fiberglass, blown cellulose and plastic foam insulation. It is available on the internet.

Robert W. Pollack, R.A. has been a licensed practicing architect in Westchester County for 40 years. His practice has been predominantly residential, designing new homes, townhouses, and alterations and addition to single family homes. Bob has 9 utility patents issued and many architecture and energy focused patents pending. The author welcomes comments and suggestions. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected].


Millwood Train StationBuilt in Briarcliff Manor the 1880’s and later moved to Millwood in 1910

Millwood Train StationDemolished in 2012

Passenger Service ended in 1958 and freight service ended in 1962

In the 1960’s the building became a fruit and taxi stand

By JOHN FRy AIA, LeeD AP BD+C

Feature

Millwood Station

The Old Putnam Railroad extended from the Bronx to Brewster, NY servicing the central portion of Westchester and Putnam counties from 1818 to 1958 for commuters with freight service ending in 1968. The rail bed now hosts ‘The North County Trail’ which offers cyclists, joggers and pedestrians a scenic fitness trail linking Brewster to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The trail way incorporates historic elements including preserved segments of rails, signal structures, information kiosks and station structures into the fabric of the experience. In numerous locations small station structures were provided by the railroad which utilized standardized designs reflecting a refined, well-proportioned and appropriately detailed Hudson Valley Victorian architectural style. This story revolves around one of those structures formerly located in Millwood, NY. I came to be familiar with the Millwood Station structure while cycling the North County Trail 20 years ago. The station structure was also visible from Rte 120 as it passes through Millwood and paralleled the rail trail. It’s architectural signature begged commentary by all who passed the abandoned structure … the collective sentiment typically included expressions towards what a handsome structure at a great location waiting for care and a new use. The structure sat on private property and was privately owned with upkeep over the years provided through numerous sources and resources. More recently the structure fell into serious disrepair and was cited as dangerous by the North Castle Building Department. While various proposals and options had been explored to repair and utilize the structure over the years none achieved traction and the structure was quietly demolished in a few hours’ time in May of 2012. Fortunately prior to demolition a sequence of attentive actions lead to a student at BOCES Putnam/Northern Westchester

in Yorktown to adopt the station for his ‘Senior Exit Project’. His name is Nicholas Lopez from Brewster High School and his teacher is Gerry Markel, an architect and mentor for the Architecture and Design Lab at the BOCES Yorktown campus. Gerry was contacted by an active and interested resident of Millwood who herself spent years fostering attention to the stations plight. Her efforts remain active and her identity is left anonymous by request. A common thread to this story is the confluence of awareness that resulted from the BOCES booth which participated in the 2011 AIA WHV ‘Architects Show’ and the 2012/2013 AIA WHV Expo events. While visiting the BOCES booth during AIA Westchester + Hudson Valley’s 2013 Expo, I met Gerry and was intrigued by one of the presentation boards which included a REVIT image of Millwood Station utilizing a water color effect. As I queried Gerry about the presentation board, a great story began to unfold. The story has many layers and is as much about recognizing an educational resource and the mentoring process as it is about

How students and their architecture teacher preserved a local treasure to be (re) built

Original architectural features included: One story frame, Hipped slate gable roof, board and batten and clapboard siding, and double hung windows. The siding was beige and the trim was brown.


documenting Millwood Station. The story included the anonymous source and patron seeing the same presentation boards in 2011 at ‘The Architects Show’. In preparing the story I also met with other faculty and administrators at BOCES Putnam/Northern Westchester including Catherine Balestrieri, Stephen Lowery and Jim Bellucci, all of whom helped facilitate the programs supporting this story. A separate story can be told regarding the work of these educators and the outstanding resource that the BOCES system provides, but this story focuses on one of those successes: a collaborative effort of student, teacher, school and community. Gerry Markel began to discuss how the station structure could be documented as class project. Sensing the stations potential demise all interested parties searched for a process that could either save and/or document the structure. The acting resource was the BOCES Architecture and Design Lab through field measurements and the creation of archival drawings. Specifically, Gerry shared the idea with his Architecture and Design Lab and Nicholas Lopez adopted the project as his ‘Senior Exit Project’. The project ultimately grew in collateral efforts and tasks. Beyond simply using the station as a model to explore the process of field measuring and the subsequent creation of detailed archival drawings the educational process was expanded to incorporate strategies for recreating a full size facsimile on an adjacent parcel of land with a new and real world use. Historical research was implemented and ‘sister’ stations were visited to better understand the restoration process and how repurposing historic structures can lend to enhancing community fabric. These efforts grew to include community involvement at the local and county level. The project began to span classes and got the attention of the Westchester County Parks Department which budgeted funds for recreating the structure and securing land to build it on. A presentation was made by the class to the county legislators with the assistance of George Oros, Chief of Staff for the County Executive’s office. Other participating county officials who assisted in advancing the idea within county ranks included Kathleen O’Connor, Mike Kaplawitz, Ed Bouroughs and Joe Stout of ‘Friends of Parks’. These efforts include securing land adjacent to the former station site and grants to enable the construction process to begin. The project had also cross pollinated to the BOCES Construction Academy which began a 1/2 scale construction model as a teaching tool while exploring means and methods strategies towards eventually replicating a full size structure on a new site adjacent to the rail trail in Millwood. Archival drawings were given to Millwood Lumber who provided material take offs. The process continues as permit and contracting challenges which emerge from such a hybrid scenario are addressed. Currently, the construction envisions much of the structure being panelized at the BOCES Yorktown campus with detailed elements and finishes incorporated in the field perhaps by a hybrid construction force of professionals and students. This remarkable story highlights the BOCES mission of “School to Work” concept integrating real world circumstances

into the educational process. This process illustrates the art of mentoring beyond the basics of ‘teaching’ as a methodology incorporating vision, collateral results and a community presence The Millwood Station circumstance benefited from this terrific and important resource as provided by the BOCES system and in particular as it relates to potential staff in architectural, engineering and design offices. These students have been mentored in a diverse environment and graduate with unique skill sets preparing them for immediate contributions in the work place. As this story’s likely ending is not completed, I look forward to seeing the results of collective mentoring as manifested by the reincarnation of Millwood Station. The reappearance of the historic structure hosting a contemporary use will stand as a tribute to the quiet and unheralded efforts of individuals, a community and an educational institution to enhance our built environment.

Also contributing to this article:Catherine Balestrieri [email protected] Bellucci [email protected] Lowery [email protected]


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As an architect, and the parent of a 10 and 12 year old, I often find myself looking for alternative, creative ways to supplement my children’s education. For me, public education today seems to be more about teaching children how to take standardized tests than challenging them to think creatively.

Often, there are various extracurricular programs available to students (and families) that involve forming teams, solving problems and entering competitions. We have participated in many of them. Often the schools offer little or no faculty support, due to budget constraints, etc., and so parents volunteer as coaches, mentors, and educators. Of course we do it all willingly…with the hope that our kids will learn something about working with others, solving a problem creatively, and even possibly win a prize. This past year I was introduced to one of these programs I had never heard of before called “Future City Competition”. A friend of mine heard a documentary about the competition on NPR, and convinced our family, along with theirs and one other, to get involved. We had no idea what was in store for us. The competition, www.futurecity.org, was started 21 years ago by a few professional engineers, and has now grown to

a nationally recognized competition promoting careers in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) - which as we know, are the careers so touted by our teachers and guidance counselors as desirable, profitable, sought-after professional paths for our kids. I was impressed by so many aspects of the competition: its inherent creativity; the fact that it targets young students (6th, 7th & 8th grade), and the professionalism with which every aspect of the program was structured. To quote from the website…..[the program is] ‘a national, project-based learning experience where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade imagine, design, and build cities of the future. Students work as a team with an educator and engineer mentor to plan cities using SimCity™ software; research and write solutions to an engineering problem; build tabletop scale models with recycled materials; and present their ideas before judges at Regional Competitions in January. Regional winners move on to the National Finals in Washington, DC in February. As novices, with no official Educator or Mentor (we assigned 2 of the parents to assume these roles), we embarked on the project. A research paper, narrative and digital city using SimCity software were the first (3) deadlines to meet. The last component was a scale model, made of all recycled materials, costing $100 or less, was due just before the Regional deadlines in Boston, MA in February. Much to our complete shock and amazement, our team, “Hydro Action City” won the New England Regionals on that day. Our prize was a trip to Washington, D.C. to

By eLISA VOLPATI, AIA

(How) Are we mentoring our youth ? These kids are in the early stages of forming their opinions about what they like, what their interest are, and what they enjoy doing.


enter the National Competition! We were speechless, but excited to be part of such an energetic, enthusiastic group of professionals. It all felt so “architectural” to me, yet there wasn’t an architect in sight; (except for me of course, disguised as a parent). I even asked the engineer who was running the New England Regional competition in Boston about whether they had tried to engage the BSA or any architects/architectural organizations….he basically said they weren’t interested. While witnessing my 7th grader and his 2 friends up on stage in front of an audience at Northeastern University, microphones in hand, describing in great detail every aspect of their “future city” was far beyond any experience I ever had in college or otherwise, attempting to prepare me for those endless presentations before planning, zoning or ARB Boards. I was jealous. They were light years ahead of any practical experience I had gained in college or otherwise…..in the 7th grade. My resume includes an undergraduate degree in mathematics from a great school that did not have an architecture program. Post undergraduate, when I decided to pursue a career in architecture, I was racking up another 4 years (ouch) in tuition in graduate school I can’t help but think that if more career options had been exposed to me at such an early age, things may have turned out differently. The fact that this program is geared to middle school students, to me is key. These kids are in the early stages of forming their opinions about what they like, what their interest are, and what they enjoy doing. It is at this early, impressionable age that Future City hopes to reel these kids in – bring them to Washington, D.C. for a week they will never forget, and someday, in 9-11 years or so, add some great minds to their professional pool. And so, naturally, this entire experience made me ask myself “what are we doing as architects to mentor our youth?” “How are we promoting advocacy not only within the profession, but also to the future generation?” Personally, I have been a mentor through a wonderful organization called Her Honor Mentoring. It is a Westchester County, NY based organization with a mission geared towards women of high school age, entering various professions, not only architecture. I was mentor to a young architecture student from Saunders Technical High School in Yonkers. She came to our office for approx. 8 hours/wk. during her senior year. Hopefully, she gained some practical knowledge from working in our office, and in turn I learned a bit about her educational experience. I have no doubt that some mentoring programs exist and are playing a role in promoting our profession to young people considering a career in architecture. To me, Future City was so impressive because of the young age of the participants, the enthusiasm with which the engineers (mostly volunteer) run the program, and inherently promote their profession, and the quality of the projects presented. They had huge corporate sponsorship behind them (Bently Systems, Dupont, Shell Oil, Ohio University), who not only add financial support, but leadership in the form of CEOs speaking to these kids during the final round of the competition. During the 6 hour car ride back from D.C., I couldn’t help but ask myself not only “are we mentoring our youth?” but if so “how?” and “are we doing enough?”

Elisa Volpati is a senior architect at Sullivan Architecture where her design emphasis focuses on religious and interiors projects. Elisa is also responsible for firm editorial work and is a frequent contributor to various publications.


By MANUeL ANDRADe, AIA, LeeD AP Scholarship Winners

In keeping with the Westchester + Hudson Valley AIA’s commitment of promoting Architecture, our chapter proudly awards yearly scholarships to architectural students. The Scholarships are named after Aaron Resnick and Harvey Lewis. Each year, architect students attending an NAAB accredited school of architecture; apply for either the Thesis or Non-Thesis Student Scholarship. Applicants must have their permanent address within our chapter area. Students submit their latest college transcript, letters of recommendations and at least two examples of their design projects completed for school credit. Our chapter’s scholarship committee reviews the applications and awards the scholarships. This year our chapter awarded the scholarship for the 25th time, to two Non-thesis students. As a fundraising event for our scholarship program our chapter organizes an annual golf outing. This year the annual Golf Outing and Scholarship Fundraiser was held at Hollow Golf Club. 68 golfers ranging from architects, associates and vendors gathered for a day of golf to help support a great cause, our profession of Architecture. The golfers competed for a number of team and individual prizes. Prior to starting the round of golf, everyone gathered on the practice green for a Putting Contest, which was won by David Gusick. The First Place Team consisted of Robert Camilli, Jr; Joseph Venice; Thomas Lorys and Michael Lorys and the Second Place Team consisted of Rookie Corcoran, Chris Strebel, Erika Condradt and Tom Lull. The Closest to the Pin contest was won by Joe Venice while the Longest Drive was won by Karl Ackerman. After the round or golf, everyone gathered in the clubhouse for food and drink along with prizes being awarded. Last year’s Thesis Scholarship winner, Caitlin McCabe, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, presented her thesis project, which involved designing for the future by means of designing a reactive and adapting building form. She investigated a way to design something that reacts to it’s environment, so that it doesn’t matter if we are no longer here and some other life form comes into existence, the design will be able to react and adapt to become relevant to them. Her thesis was developed using an abandoned industrial site in Poughkeepsie. After Caitlin McCabe’s presentation, I had

the pleasure to announce the recipients of this year’s scholarship. Two Non-thesis Scholarships were awarded, one to Nasim Gafur from Dutchess Community College and the second to Pelin Akman from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The scholarship is an important program of the Westchester + Hudson Valley AIA. I am honored to participate in this program, because I have first hand experience to the importance that receiving this scholarship has. It was 25 years ago that I received the first scholarship from our chapter. I presented my thesis project to the attendees of that year’s golf outing and it was an incredible experience. The support that I received from the scholarship committee and chapter was an important factor in the development of my architectural career and that is why I am proud to be part of our scholarship committee and our chapter. This event could not be possible without the hard work and commitment of our chapters golf committee, lead by Rick Torres, AIA and all the sponsors that were involved in this years event. We hope to see even more sponsors and golfers attending next years golf outing. See everyone next year.

Manuel was the Chapter’s first Scholarship Award Winner. He is currently the Principal of Kenneth Irving Architect and the Chapter Treasurer. And yes, he still has those sunglasses.

A Great Day of Golf for an Important Cause

AIAWHV Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser: Event wrap-upOn June 9 2014 the chapter held its annual golf outing fundraiser at Hollowbrook Golf Club in Cortlandt Manor, New York. This was our third year at Hollowbrook and it certainly was the best of the three. We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the golf club staff for their hard work and hospitality the golfers and sponsors who came out to make the day such a raving success. We had a great turnout, with over 60 golfers playing in this year’s event. The roster of sponsors continues to grow and we thank all who participated. We look forward to continued growth of this event. There are many opportunities available to partner with the chapter during this event and help fund the scholarship program. We also would like to extend out thanks to the golf event committee who put in the hard work to coordinate and organize the event. 38 ArchPLUS Summer 2014

By MURRye BeRNARD, ASSOC. AIA

Feature

My Not-So-Alternative Career Path

The phrase “alternative career path” sounds like something rebellious and cool that began in the 90s. My alternative career path did, in fact, begin in the decade of all things grunge, but it hasn’t necessarily always seemed so edgy, or so paved with plaid. That path led me from growing up in a small town in Arkansas and pursuing a degree in architecture to moving to New York, becoming a freelance writer, and eventually, managing editor of an architecture and interior design publication. I decided I wanted to become an architect when I was 12, after being diagnosed with mono. Confined to the couch with a high fever for weeks, I soon bored of daytime TV. Instead, I began watching the construction of the house next door and was quickly enthralled. Once I recovered, I spent every evening after school exploring the site and drafting plans on graph paper. As it turns out, those plans were off by a few hundred total square feet, but my future career path was set in stone, so to speak. Then, during high school—as teenagers tend to do—I wrote a lot of bad poetry and lyrics to songs while strumming my guitar. I also wrote enough not-so-lame essays in English class that I was placed in an advanced program. At some point, I began thinking: “Hey, I really like to write. Maybe I should become a writer instead of an architect.” My father did not agree. When it was time to apply for college, I chose the path paved with parental support rather than the more rebellious one involving studying creative writing at an out-of-state liberal arts school. In a move that was quite the opposite, I enrolled in the architecture program at the state university—known for its Greek scene and wild hog mascot (go Razorbacks!). The University of Arkansas offered me a scholarship on top of what was already an affordable education, and the Fay Jones School of Architecture is an excellent program that employs talented professors. Part of the draw of the U of A architecture program, for me, was the option to study in Rome for a semester. That was my first experience living in a large city, and it crystallized my desire to move to New York City—the ultimate U.S. city, in my eyes. But reality set in, and a cross-country move is a scary prospect for a 22-year-old, and, not to mention, an expensive one. Before graduation, I interviewed with Little Rock–based Polk Stanley Architects and received an offer for an internship. I said yes. For the next two years, I worked on education, museum, and healthcare projects for the firm. I completed the typical, mundane tasks of internship: door schedules, bathroom elevations, and picking up red marks until my eyes crossed. But the firm provided me with a well-rounded experience, including opportunities to sketch and design, attend client meetings, and visit job sites. I was also thrilled to finally have free time following the intense experience of architecture school, and I devoted this time to writing. A former classmate suggested that I apply to be the editor of AssociateNews, the newsletter of the AIA National Associates Committee. And they picked me! As part of my role, I attended meetings at the AIA headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as AIA national conventions. Meeting other young professionals, many of whom had

pursued non-traditional career paths, was eye-opening for me. After saving up for a couple of years, I made the leap and moved to New York. I worked for a few architecture firms, segueing from drawing construction documents and arguing with contractors to responding to requests for proposals and writing marketing materials. In my free time, I continued to write, and took advantage of my new location by building connections with other writers and editors. I was soon named contributing editor to e-Oculus, the newsletter of the AIA New York Chapter, and accomplished the milestone of publishing my first article in print in Architectural Lighting magazine. I knew I wanted to write full time, and during the worst of the recession, I took the risk and became a freelance writer. It paid off. Over the next four years, I contributed to many print publications and websites, including Architect, Architectural Record, Architecture Boston, At Home in Arkansas, The Architect’s Newspaper, DesignBureau, Eco-Structure, Green Building and Design, Hospitality Design, and USA Today. One of the publications for which I wrote most frequently was Contract magazine, a 54-year-old publication covering commercial interior design. When an opportunity arose to join full time, I jumped at it, and was hired as the managing editor. While I had enjoyed the freedom of being a freelancer, I was able to fulfill my goal of working as part of the staff of a publication and learning how a magazine is put together. Though writing and editing seem like a big departure from architecture, I argue that my training in the latter prepared me for the former. When designing a building, one must analyze the site and develop a program before beginning the process of sketching. It’s much the same with writing; I spend most of my time researching and gathering information. Just as a building design must go through many iterations before it reaches its final state, my first draft becomes unrecognizable as I edit, edit again, and then edit some more. And nothing is more satisfying than seeing the finished product, whether a completed building or, for me, a printed issue of the magazine. While I have no plans to practice architecture in the traditional sense, I’ve always maintained the goal of becoming a licensed architect. It might sound a little masochistic to take seven tests when there is no pressure or obvious reward. However, I survived five years of architecture school and faithfully logged all of my IDP hours as an intern—so why not complete the process? So far, I’ve taken and passed three exams. Being licensed will give me credibility and enhance my byline; plus, it will also help me to communicate with architects about their work and to be a better advocate for the profession. I’m far from being the rock star of my teenage dreams, or even a poet, but I am a writer and an editor—and soon I will finally be able to call myself an architect, too.

Murrye is an architecture writer based in New York and is taking exams toward architectural licensure. Her work has previously appeared in many publications, and is currently the Managing Editor of Contract magazine.

Combing both her passions: architecture and writing


Photo Credit Peter Krupenye Photography


Photo Credit Peter Krupenye Photography

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PG: You have been in business for a long time, starting when your father was running the office- how has your view of hiring changed over the years? What things do you look for in prospective employees?

JL: Computers have revolutionized prospective employees’ value in the office. They are using computers in colleges now for presentations, and as an annual reviewer of the senior thesis Interior Design students at FIT, I have to say that their computer skills and renderings are absolutely fabulous. Those computer skills have become their entré into any office, because of their ability to render and their CAD skills.

In the old days, students had limited drafting skills and limited construction knowledge, so it was hard to get your foot in the door with a firm. The only advantage a recent graduate had was that they were cheap. Now you have the advantage of someone coming in producing things from the get-go that were really of value.

We routinely hire students on their summer and winter breaks, because their computer skills are so good. We frequently use them for marketing and for renderings for clients, especially in situations where the client didn’t have the money to spend, where we pass the labor cost savings onto the clients.

Just doing the renderings for a particular project, gives them a great experience, in the office, and starting to interact with other people and yet we and the client get this great benefit that we wouldn’t have had before. It’s a win-win for everybody. The young people are all of a sudden very valuable right out of college instead of waiting to get skills developed from working at least five years.

Do you find that there is a parallel between the rendering quality skills and the design thought process that goes into those renderings?The best students are free thinking and have a very broad, fresh perspective. They are not encumbered by, nor fully versed in codes and other technical details, so there is still a learning curve when they come in, but it isn’t a big one, so they are usually able to get up to speed quickly.

We had someone come in here a year ago looking for a job, and I liked his portfolio and his attitude. Three months later we had an opening and hired him. He has been terrific ever since. He’s a bright guy and his mind is just absorbing everything quickly from a design aspect, a technical aspect and a construction aspect, and his drawing is very fast. Because of this, he has become very valuable to us. He has just finished a design project that should be built fairly soon, so it has been fun for him and good experience.

Do you find that most young architectural school graduates seeking jobs are looking for group learning or a one on one learning experience?That is interesting- our office is much more collaborative than it used to be. The partners’ offices are adjacent and open to the staff and everything is visible, so the office culture is much more communal. Today, there is a lot more collaboration, and it also has made the office a more invigorating, social, collaborative environment than it used to be.

When I started out, I sat in a bullpen with three other guys, whereas now here, we have more younger people working with all of us, so it’s more of a team spirit now. A lot because they are still asking

Peter spoke with Jim about the world of architecture today in regard to the next generation of designers and what replaced the traingle, erasing shield and 6B lead pencils

Interview

Jim Lothrop of Lothrop AssociatesBy PeTeR GAITO JR, AIA


each other how to do certain things. Also, because we are in the social media age, and they are constantly looking for things from us and from each other, and because of the collaboration, they are all learning more and quicker.

Do you see that the older staff are also learning from the younger staff instead of just a top down, senior to junior teaching/learning relationship? Yes indeed, no question about it. In the era of computer technology and social media marketing, the older staff is always trying to learn from the younger staff more effective means of obtaining and conveying information. This entails everything from social marketing, computer renderings, production documents, project management tools, etc.

I see a lot more senior staff and junior staff engagement than there ever was before. My father, the senior partner, dealt with the project managers and never got much deeper than that in the office, it was much more structured in the hierarchical pyramid. Now it’s not that way, a partner is working with a very junior person on a project that can be done by that junior person, so it tends to be much more integrated than it was.

Is that success due to the junior person’s accessibility to knowledge or because of the elements of working together in ways that are beneficial to both the project and staff, or is it inevitable due to the breakdown in the traditional hierarchy? I think all three and the practical matter of being more efficient in the way that we do things. Our profession is a competitive one and we keep looking for ways to provide our clients with better buildings and find cost effective ways to provide those services. So we recognize, take advantage and reward the ideas from wherever they come.

As the years progress, and this new generation gets older, will they retain and continue to use their computer rendering and production skills or will they become more managerial in nature and hand off those computer skills to the next generation?That is a good question, I really don’t know. I suspect that the

current evolution process will continue. And as you become more focused on, and spend more time on, management issues, it is inevitable that you will no longer be spending most of your time on renderings and production skills. That process will always continue, but it will also create other opportunities for growth, experience, knowledge and ambition for younger employees. However, senior management are all going to have to learn more, because effective management is increasingly dependent on learning new computer skills.

When I was in architecture school, we were taught to draft, use the computer and utilize hand sketches and traditional design tools to convey our projects. Do you see this generation doing many hand sketches?I don’t see that but I am encouraging them to do that because I’m showing them the value of sketching. We were reviewing how to achieve ADA compliance in an old house in Connecticut, which can be challenging in an old house. We were trying to work at it on the screen, I finally said to the staff working on it, I can’t do it this way, print me out a plan at ¼” scale and let me show you how I do it. In fifteen minutes time, I was able to do six versions with tracing paper and marker. I think they were too involved trying to get too precise, whereas when I’m working, I’m mentally pushing things around, seeing where there is too much space and where there is too little space. In doing that with tracing paper and marker, I feel that we have some talent to teach to them, so our skills are still very relevant. This also comes in handy in sketching in front of a client.

The precision aspects of what we know we can achieve sometimes get in the way of the bigger picture of good design, or the time constraints involved. During interviews or staff meetings, was there any discussion about BIM?I think we are all going toward BIM. We are not fully into it yet in this office, but we’re working on it. It may never apply to smaller projects but the bigger projects are clearly going that way. How many people are going to actually take advantage of knowing exactly how many Schlage locks are in a job and fifteen years later when they have to replace three hundred of them, they know exactly where they are. Better building coordination is the promise of BIM but how many projects that demand that are willing to support the added cost? We shall see...

The FALL ArchPLUS issue will arrive soon theme: Materials and Methods

contributors welcomeSummer 2014 ArchPLUS 45

10 Wednesday

Molly Spillane’s

211 Mamaroneck Avenue

Mamaroneck, NY

5:30-7:30 pm

16 Tuesday

Stamford Innovation Center

175 Atlantic Street

Stamford, CT

6:00-8:00 pm

25 Thursday

IBM Learning Center

Armonk, NY

5:30-9:00 pm

September Events

4 Saturday

West Point, NY

8:00 am

8 Wednesday

9-11

Saratoga, NY

18 Saturday

19 Saturday

24-27

CW Brown, Inc. O� ce

Armonk, NY

8:00am-7:00 pm

27 Monday

Tarrytown Marriott

Tarrytown, NY

CEU Classes 8:00 am-7:00 pm

October Events

September 25

Speaker of the

night and guest

appearance by

Russell A. Davidon,

2016 National

President Elect

October 27

Join us for a full

day of CES credits

and a chance to

visit the expo � oor

where vendors will

have their newest

products on display.

Event Calendar

Leveraging Houzz Social Media to Build Your Business

Designing and Planning: The Growth of Your Business

Annual Business Meeting and Elections

Annual Business Meeting

West Point Architecture Tour and Football Game USMA-West Point, NY

Design EXPO

ARE Scholarship Applications Due

AIA NYS Design Conference

Usonia Tour

Bike TourGeorge Washington Bridge-West Side Pathway, World Trade Center

Thaddeus Structural Seminar

Design EXPO: Progressions


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photo credit: Peter Gaito