Saturday, August 30, 2008

Understanding the Litigation Process

The purpose of this lunchtime learning program, scheduled September 23, 2008 at Noon, is to help architects understand the causes and process of litigation. Join the presenter, David M. Field, AIA of Richard Avelar & Associates, as he reviews common scenarios in which architects are sued, describes the process by which architects are brought into lawsuits, and discusses how the possibility of litigation impacts the practice of architecture.
David M. Field, AIA is an architect who has been working in forensic architectural and construction consulting services for the past eight years.

1.5 CES/LU

Time: Noon - 1:30pm
Cost: None, open to all. Brown bag lunch. Drinks provided. Please RSVP.

For more information: Jayna Blackwell, CMP 510/464-3600.

Small Firm Forum: Business Development

"How to Keep a Continual Flow of New Projects Entering Your Firm"

Every successful architect firm understands the importance of having a growth mentality. Presidents, owners and principals of both small and large firms realize that they have to be able to increase business from both their current client base and to continually find new work. Joe Dilberto, Allied Member, Sandler Training, who specializes in selling professional services and business development, will discuss several key concepts and strategies to help your business get to the next level.
1.5 CES/LUs
This event, to be held September 4, 2008, is open to all.
Time: Noon - 1:30pm
Cost: Free to Chapter members, $3 non-members. Brown bag lunch. Drinks provided. For more information, contact: Cathy Roha, AIA

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

VectorWorks User Group

The next meeting of the Northern California VectorWorks User Group (NCVWUG) will be Tuesday, September 9, 2008. At this meeting, Jack Stone will demonstrate how to generate exotic 3 dimensional objects in Sketchup using Ruby scripts. These objects could then be imported into VectorWorks as schematic design elements. Time permitting there will also be a review of the tools in each of the various tool palettes. Future meetings will allow time to review one or two tool palettes. Bring your questions as there will be time allotted for the all important Q&A period. Mark your calendar and plan to attend. As always, you're guaranteed to walk away with a new idea or two. NCVWUG meets at AIA East Bay the second Tuesday of every month.

1.5 CES/LU

For more information, contact: Larry Mortimer, AIA or 510/464-3600.

Upcoming ArchiCAD User Groups

Join ArchVista as they host upcoming ArchiCAD User Groups, where you can meet and collaborate with your peers, learn tips, tricks and features related to ArchiCAD and get to know fellow users in your area.

September 3rd at 6pm - Rosemary Muller, FAIA of Muller Caulfield Architects will review the historical restoration and seismic upgrade of the Alameda Carnegie Library.

November 5th at 6pm - Ed Buchanan of Jarvis Architects will review a residential project that coordinates the 3D model from schematics through construction documents.

These events are co-sponsored by AIA East Bay.
For more information: Click Here

Title 24 and You: How Changes to the 2008 Energy Standards Will Affect Affordable Housing

Co-sponsored by AIA East Bay

Please join the Green Affordable Housing Coalition, Build It Green, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, for a Green Building brown bag workshop at AIA East Bay, September 9, 2008 at noon on the changing energy standards, which take effect July 1, 2009. The new "2008" Energy Standards will be more stringent than the current 2005 Energy Standards, and this workshop will concentrate on information you need to know to manage your projects to meet the new state requirements, comply with an increasing number of local green building ordinances, and remain competitive for tax credits.
Date: September 9, 2008
Time: Noon - 1:30pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland.
Cost: None. This meeting is open to all. Brown bag lunch. Drinks provided.
1.5 CES/LU

Guest speakers:

Mike Gabel (Principal of Gabel Associates, LLC) will discuss important changes to the Residential Title 24 Energy Standards for low-rise and high-rise multifamily projects. He will illustrate the overall impact of the new Standards through the use of recent data he has developed while assisting several local governments evaluate and adopt green building ordinances. Using model results for a prototypical multifamily projects, Mike will explore which design strategies are the most cost-effective under the 2008 Standards.Mike is the current Vice-Chair (and former Chair) of the California Association of Building Energy Consultants (CABEC). Gabel Associates has provided energy consulting assistance on more than 10,000 building projects including single family homes, low-rise multi-family buildings, high-rise apartments and a large range of nonresidential buildings.

Jeff Jacobs (Principal of Building Advisory Group, LLC) will provide findings from a cost analysis study he is undertaking alongside Mike Gabel’s work on evaluating green building ordinances. Together, they will present cost-effective compliance strategies for the new code.Jeff has been involved in the design and construction of energy efficient homes since 1980. In 1981 the first building that he completed won the PG & E Passive Solar Award for design and energy efficiency. For 17 years, he ran his own homebuilding business building over 300 homes and developing more than 15 neighborhoods. He has been in the production builder world for over 9 years, as Project Manager and then Director of Community Development for Centex Homes (Bay Area division) and then VP of Community Development for Meritage Homes. While at Centex, in 2001 he built the first Zero Energy Home in Northern California and in 2006 rolled out the first Zero Energy Community (100+ Green Points) in Alameda County and in 2007 the first Zero Energy Home Community in Solano County.

Sophia Hartkopf (Associate Manager at Heschong Mahone Group, Inc) will highlight the upcoming (2009-2011) multifamily utility new construction and rehab programs through PG&E, focusing on the PG&E California Multifamily New Homes (CMFNH) program. Sophia will also discuss the existing CMFNH program and how this program overlaps with green/solar programs and affordable funding sources.
Sophia Hartkopf is an Associate Manager at Heschong Mahone Group, Inc, a professional firm providing consulting services in the field of building energy efficiency. Sophia works with HMG on program implementation and program evaluation efforts of multifamily and commercial programs. Most of her energy is spent working on the Pacific Gas and Electric sponsored California Multifamily New Homes (CMFNH) program, which works with developers, architects, engineers, city/county officials and consultants on reaching their energy efficiency, solar, and green building goals.

For more information contact: http://www.builditgreen.org/councils/gahc-2008.09.09

Architecture and Public Service - Design as a Tool for Change

Join AIA East Bay, Wednesday, August 27th at 5:30pm, for an in-depth program on the pro bono work of Public Architecture.
Time: 5:30pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland.
Contact: Jayna Blackwell, CMP or 520/464-3600 for more information. Click here to register

Cost: $15 for chapter members and their guests; $25 for non-members. Includes cocktails and dinner.

Although some architects are enjoying a new celebrity status, the opportunity for the architecture profession as a whole to assume a meaningful role in shaping the quality of our communities continues to be sorely under exploited. John Peterson, founder and chair of Public Architecture, will present the work of Public Architecture and the work of other architects who are expanding the influence of their efforts and the health of their practices through high quality pro bono projects.

Public Architecture is a nonprofit organization that acts as a catalyst for public discourse through education, advocacy, and the design of public spaces and amenities. Rather than waiting for commissions, Public Architecture takes a leadership role by identifying significant problems of broad relevance that require innovative research and design. Recognizing the dearth of resources supporting pro bono work within the architecture profession, Public Architecture launched The 1%, a pro bono national campaign in 2005. Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, The 1% encourages architecture firms to formalize their commitment to the public good by pledging one percent of their billable hours to public interest work.


This talk, to be held August 27, 2008 at 5:30pm, is part of the AIA East Bay's Monthly Program offerings. Contact Jayna Blackwell, CMP or call 510/464-3600 for more information. Click here to register

Monday, August 18, 2008

Panel Discussion: Defining the Net Zero Energy Building- Is It Attainable?

There are many variables involved in carbon neutrality and designing Net Zero Energy Buildings. The August 19th panel will describe Net Zero buildings, show real world applications and discuss what does and does not work. Join us for this informative and lively discussion Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 6:00pm. Many thanks to the Young Architects Forum and the Committee on the Environment for organizing this joint program.

About the panelists:

Larry Strain, FAIA - Larry Strain, principal of Siegel & Strain Architects, has a 25-year background in sustainable design. After studying environmental systems at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, he became a student-instructor at the Farallones Institute in Occidental, California where he continued his studies in environmental systems. In 1976 he co-founded The Solar Center, one of the largest solar design and installation companies in the Bay Area. He received his Master of Architecture degree from the University of California Berkeley, where he is currently teaching in the School of Architecture. Mr. Strain is the author of the reSourceful Specifications, guideline specifications for environmentally considered building materials and construction methods. reSourceful Specifications was awarded the 1998 Practice & Technology Award from the AIA East Bay Chapter. He is a member of Architects/ Designers/ Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), Building Industry Professionals for Environmental Responsibility (BIPER), Urban Ecology, and is a professional member of the Construction Specifications Institute, and the American Solar Energy Society.

Bill Burke, AIA - Bill is an architect with a long background in environmental issues and energy-efficiency. As staff architect at Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s (PG&E) Pacific Energy Center (PEC), he oversees architectural educational programs and consultations, with a focus on improved building performance through good site design, high performance glazing, daylighting, and other green building strategies.Immediately prior to joining PG&E, Bill managed the Vital Signs Curriculum Project. Vital Signs, organized through the University of California, Berkeley, assisted educators in incorporating energy-efficiency and building performance topics into architectural curricula at schools throughout North America. Bill practiced architecture in the San Francisco offices of HOK and MBT Architecture, where he focused on health care and laboratory projects. Bill received his M.Arch. degree from the University of Oregon in 1986 and a B.A. from Grinnell College in 1976. He is a registered architect in the State of California, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and a LEED Accredited Professional.

David Lehrer - is CBE's Director of Communications. He serves as the primary liaison between our Industry Partners and the research team, and leads CBE's publicity and publication efforts.
David holds a Master of Architecture degree from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining CBE, David had acquired over 10 years experience as a practicing architect, completing a variety of project types including office buildings, workplace design, retail, and historic preservation. David is also a specialist in resource efficient design strategies and has lectured and written on a number of related topics. David is an adjunct faculty member at the California College of the Arts (CCA) where he has taught green building and interdisciplinary design courses. He has been an active member of the US Green Building Council, and has served as co-chair of the the AIA San Francisco Chapter Committee on the Environment. David also runs LehrerDesign.

Time: 6:00-7:30pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland.
Contact:
Jayna Blackwell, CMP or call 510/464-3600 for more information.
Cost: None; this program open to all. Cocktails provided.
Please RSVP.
1.5 CES/LU

Friday, August 15, 2008

Save on West Coast Green Registration!

Explore Green Innovation
AIA East Bay is pleased to announce our new partnership with West Coast Green – the nation’s largest conference and expo on green innovation in building, business, and design. With this alliance, your AIA East Bay membership allows you a 20% DISCOUNT OFF OF A FULL CONFERENCE PASS.

Your pass gives you access to all presentations, interactive demonstrations and expo, inspirational conference sessions, a full-scale green modular showhouse and more! You will also be able to choose from 80 AIA CES credit offerings, including sessions on Advanced Building, Technology and Materials, and the Developers Series & Roundtable.

West Coast Green is the largest event of its kind, with an international audience of over 14,000 influencers and thought leaders. As the hub for collective intelligence, West Coast Green assembles visionary thinkers, business leaders, products and technologies that are revolutionizing the way we build and live in our homes, work spaces and communities.

Highlights of our 2008 Conference:
• Inspired Presentations from Visionary Thinkers & Business Leaders from 100 of the leading minds in the green industry including keynote speeches from noted author and TV host David Suzuki, and Nobel Laureate Al Gore.
• Dynamic networking events and action hubs where thought leaders can gather to tackle real-world issues, exchange ideas, create valuable connections or find their next business partner.
• An interactive tradeshow floor with over 400 exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations in green building and business technology, including a green modular showhouse.
• Inspirational Conference Sessions built as a comprehensive curriculum ranging from beginner level to advanced, offering a selection of over 80 AIA CES credits.

September 25–27, 2008 San Jose Convention Center Silicon Valley, CA
westcoastgreen.com

REGISTER NOW and come to the heart of innovation!
1. Go to
westcoastgreen.com
2. Click on the Register tab, and select Full Conference
3. On the page following, ENTER YOUR PROMO CODE: aia688


That’s it! Your pass for 20% off will be reflected on the final page.

For more information: Sidney Sweeney 510/464-3600

Monday, August 11, 2008

Cost and Value of Green Buildings

Architects and clients around the world are embracing sustainable design to create buildings that give back to the environment, brightening the future for future generations. The desire to build green however, is tempered by project realities, like budget, and by perception that sustainable design must always cost more.

This presentation talks about the factors that can influence the cost of incorporating green features in building design. LEED rating system is used as the metric for measuring a building’s “greenness”. This presentation also provides an overview of cost effective techniques of green buildings.


8/14/08
Cost and Value of Green Buildings

A joint program of Women in Architecture and the Committee on the Environment
Presented by: Puja M. Vohra
Time: 6:00pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland.
Cost: None; this program open to all. Drinks provided. Please RSVP.
1 CES/LUs

PUJA M. VOHRA
Sustainability Consultant
Davis Langdon

With nine years of experience in sustainable design and energy efficiency in buildings, Puja is a LEED Accredited Professional who has worked on projects throughout California within the academic, commercial, residential, and public/government sectors. She specializes in energy efficiency and green building research, sustainability and LEED consulting, energy modeling, and energy efficiency program design and implementation. At Davis Langdon, she is involved with the City and County of San Francisco to provide green building consulting services, managing individual LEED consulting services to individual projects and energy modeling.

Puja holds a Masters of Science in Building Design from Arizona State University in addition to a Bachelor of Architecture from the Institute of Environmental Design in India. A member of the Green Resources Committee of the USGBC Northern California chapter, she is also certified with both the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) and Certified Energy Plans Examiner (CEPE) program, a statewide California building energy standards certification program.


For more information: Jayna Blackwell, CMP

The City of Oakland needs your help!

Building on the success of their cripple wall retrofit program, and in an ongoing effort to make the Easy Bay a seismically safer place, the City of Oakland, assisted by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) is looking for volunteers to help them survey their multi-family residential buildings in order to identify potential soft-story hazards. Volunteers will be surveying residential neighborhoods and compiling basic information about pre-selected buildings onto provided forms. Several other Bay Area professional organizations such as SEAONC and the UC Berkeley student chapter of EERI have signed on to help with this important project, and your additional support would be welcome!

The survey will be conducted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 and Saturday, October 4th, 2008. Volunteers will meet and sign-in at a central location at the City offices for breakfast and a short training talk (at 7:30 a.m.) covering administrative, safety, and technical points. Around 9:00 am volunteers will disperse in teams of two to three people to designated neighborhoods, and conduct the surveys on foot or by car. Please bring a brown bag lunch and your car if possible!

As many volunteers as possible are needed for both Saturdays, so sign up for one day or both! It’s a great opportunity to get some fresh air, meet like-minded seismic activists, and contribute a valuable public service in increasing seismic safety for the City of Oakland.


for more information: please contact ABAG via Erika Amir at ErikaA@abag.ca.gov or Jeanne Perkins at JeanneP@abag.ca.gov.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

I. Donald Terner Prize

The I. Donald Terner Prize recognizes successful and innovative affordable housing projects and their leadership teams. The purpose is to spread Terner's vision and principles to the planning, design and development professions as well as to public officials, community representatives, housing activists, and government and private funders by identifying outstanding best practices in the field.

First Prize Award: $25,000Five Finalists: $5000 leadership stipend

Applications are due on August 18, 2008
Applications must be submitted online only at http://communityinnovation.berkeley.edu/ternerprize/applications.html

An application may be submitted by anyone involved in the planning, development or operation of a project, but must include the approval of the original project sponsor, developer, and the architect. Eligible projects must be located in the U.S. and have been in operation for a sufficient amount of time to demonstrate success.

For more information: Center for Community Innovation/ Terner PrizeCollege of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley Tel: 510.643.9103 Email us or visit our web site