Yoselim Bravo, Assoc. AIA (Richmond) from AIA Florida Adam C. Elsea, Assoc. AIA (Blue Ridge) from AIA Oklahoma Johnathan C. Jackson, AIA (Central Virginia) from AIA Washington DC
Hello and happy autumn, Candidates, Supervisors, and fellow Advisors! I am so excited to take on the role of Architect Licensing Advisor for the Commonwealth and to help you along your career journey, no matter the season. In case you’re wondering why I’m here and what this is all about, here’s a little background on the role.
Architect Licensing Advisors are volunteers who share their time to assist licensure candidates and architects as they work toward initial licensure, reciprocity, supervision, or mentorship. Anyone can be an Advisor and most volunteer with their firms, however, some are appointed by their university or (like myself) their AIA Component. Some Advisors only serve for a few years, and others have done so for decades. The community of Advisors includes students, new graduates, mid-career professionals, educators, licensing board members, and retirees.
No matter how we came to the role of Advisor, or how long we’ve been in it, we all share a commitment to assisting current and aspiring architects as they navigate the sometimes overwhelming path ahead. This could not have been made more clear than at NCARB’s biannual Licensing Advisors Summit, held this summer in Kansas City. Attendees came from all over the US and beyond (one from as far as Guam!) to connect with others, share their ideas and perspectives, and learn about NCARB’s new initiatives, policies, and support they have to offer their members. I have already learned so much from the vast network I connected with at the Summit, and left energized and full of ideas for ways to engage with our AIA Virginia community.
It’s easy to look at a large national organization like NCARB and feel like you’re just a Record Number sending emails and frustration into the void but I promise; they, like us, are real people. And they really are invested in supporting the licensure candidates and architects that they serve. If you ever reach a point where you feel helpless, hopeless, or like you’re going backward instead of forward – that’s where your Licensing Advisor can step in. Advisors have access to our greatest resource, the knowledge and experience of others, and can crowdsource advice or solutions if an answer isn’t readily available.
Thanks to our previous Advisor Michael Hammon, AIA for setting the bar high. I’ll be sharing additional resources and guidance with you during my two-year term. Please feel free to reach out, especially if there’s a topic you’re curious to learn more about, or a resource you think would be helpful to others. Questions about AXP, the AREs, or NCARB in general are always welcome and encouraged. I’m looking forward to connecting with you and supporting your path in any way that I can.
To be an impactful citizen-architect, one needs to be not only an architect (or on their way to becoming an architect), but also an engaged citizen. The most fundamental way to be an engaged citizen is to be registered to vote, and to vote.
It may interest you to know that in these days of instantaneous data analytics (and even before that), legislators are keen to know about those who request meetings. They can quickly determine who is (or is not) their constituent, and, whether or not that individual is a registered voter, and if that individual does indeed vote. They cannot tell how you voted, but they can tell if, and when and how often you voted. Advocacy can be cut off at the knees if the advocate is not a voter. I urge you not to squander an important aspect of your agency.
As a direct result of our ongoing and substantial strategic partnership with Virginia Sea Grant (VASG), we are pleased to welcome Irem Sezer as the AIA Virginia VASG Resiliency Fellow.
Irem received a Bachelor of Architecture from Istanbul Technical University and is licensed as an architect in Turkey. Irem graduated in May 2023 with a Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech and is now pursuing licensure in the United States.
As the Resiliency Fellow, Irem will contribute to the resiliency and sustainability activities and programming organized by AIA Virginia, VA COTE, and the Outreach Advisory Council (e.g., Resiliency Week).
Irem will also support Virginia Sea Grant’s Adaptation Design Network (ADN). The ADN looks to integrate diverse disciplinary and sector-specific perspectives to generate transformational hybrid and nature-based solutions to issues such as flooding, sea level rise, and extreme weather.
Other potential projects include working with community-based resilience and design needs emerging from the Collaboratory with Wetlands Watch, or communities participating in the Resilience Adaptation & Feasibility Tool (RAFT) initiative with the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Old Dominion University.
The fellow will be a member of the VASG fellowship community with access to professional development training and cohort services that aim to enable the teamwork needed to find solutions to our climate challenges. The fellow will also work with professional mentors from within the AIAVA community.
This fellowship presents a massive opportunity for us to strengthen our continuing efforts to address issues concerning resiliency and sustainability across the commonwealth and become a significant influencer of statewide policy; an objective identified in our current Strategic Plan.
Please contact Paul Battaglia if you or your firm would be interested in collaborating with Irem on resiliency activities.
With special thanks to the Advocacy Advisory Council and particular gratitude to the Chair, Maggie Dunlap, Assoc AIA, we can report that the good work to coordinate and increase the effectiveness of our advocacy efforts continues.
We are supporting Community Events: opportunities for key stakeholders, including elected officials, to visit our projects and better appreciate the beneficial impact of the architectural approach and our specific expertise.
We are facilitating “off-season” (away from session) opportunities to connect with legislators and introduce them to the interests and capabilities of AIA members.
We are preparing for the upcoming session of the General Assembly. In the coming months, the Joint Legislative Committee (the JLC; joint because it is comprised of members from both AIA Virginia and ACEC-VA) will be mustered and briefed. We will keep you posted on the progress of the bills we monitor, support, and oppose; and we will invite your assistance if it should be needed.
Additional gratitude is due to the AIA Virginia PAC Board of Trustees, chaired by Eliza Engle, AIA, for their constant and continuing efforts to secure support for our PAC. And to our member colleagues who have responded to that call and invested. The value of being able to introduce ourselves, or deepen an existing relationship, at fundraising events cannot be overestimated. You can invest in the AIAVA PAC here.
Please know that if you become aware of any issues that you believe warrant our focus and attention – at any level: local, state, or federal – you are always welcome to reach out to me, Paul Battaglia.
As I sit here, on this rain-soaked Saturday afternoon, I find myself thinking about the upcoming AIA Virginia event annual convention, Architecture Exchange East (ArchEx). This is one of my favorite yearly AIA Virginia events. I look forward to the opportunity to be with friends and colleagues; share stories; create new memories; celebrate with the Honors and Design Award winners; tours; seminars; and to be exposed to and learn about new products and materials. This event has it all. Frankly, I am always saddened when ArchEx is over.
ArchEx 2023 starts on Wednesday, November 1, with a Keynote speaker with a military background discussing teamwork, collaboration, risk management, and readiness. All terms we are familiar with but this will offer a different viewpoint. This will be followed by our AIA Virginia Annual Meeting where we review the AIA Virginia year, look at things planned for the coming year, and elect new AIA Virginia Officers. Wednesday finishes off with a number of different workshops, seminars, and tours.
I am particularly looking forward to Thursday. The day kicks off with Networking Coffees centered around various topics of conversation. The morning is filled out with our Firm Size and Career Stage Round Table conversations and discussions. Don’t forget to visit the Expo Hall for lunch on Thursday and a chance to check out the latest materials and trends from our vendors and sponsors. Lunch is followed by an afternoon full of great workshops and seminars. My favorite seminar occurs on Thursday afternoon…the “2023 Design Award Winners”, with thoughts and commentary by the Jury Chair. The seminar always offers interesting and sometimes curious insight into the Award winners. This is followed by another of my “must do” events, the Connections Cocktail Party. An opportunity to relax while you mix and mingle with sponsors, vendors, friends, and colleagues. Always a great time!!
This year the Connections Cocktail Party is a prelude to Visions; our signature Honors and Awards celebration. Visions offers a chance to celebrate the 2023 Honor and Design Award winners. This year, Visions will be held at the historic Hippodrome Theatre, only a short distance away from the Convention Center. The celebration offers opportunities to celebrate & connect with old and new friends, over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Visions celebration is always the highlight of ArchEx. Purchase your tickets before October 23, 2023.
ArchEx 2023 wraps up on Friday with a morning packed with seminars and workshops. Seminars on risk management, collaboration, preservation, and sustainability; something for everybody.
ArchEx 2023 is an event you do not want to miss! Registration is open and the discount period ends Friday! Register today>>
We are looking for an Architect II, Architect III, or Senior Architect to join the WPA team! You will be working with a fun group of architects, interior designers, urban designers, graphic designers, & industrial designers in an open & collaborative environment. Your role is going to be an exciting one, as WPA has an incredible portfolio of adaptive reuse, higher education, & commercial projects, each ready to get started as soon as you join us! We have a beautiful studio at Assembly & we can’t wait to share it with you. We love working together in person & offer a hybrid work environment complete with a work-from-home setup to provide flexibility.
WPA’s buildings are integrated into the urban landscape. As a Senior Architect, in addition to working on new construction & adaptive reuse projects, you will also be working with our in-house urban design team & our amazing team of consultants who are experts in coastal resilience. You will see your region change around you in just a few years as we design projects that positively affect our families & neighbors. Come to the table with a love of actively participating in an urban environment & designing & detailing to improve the lives of our community. Be comfortable with and enjoy listening, presenting, & sketching out ideas in front of a crowd.
Preferred Qualifications
Licensed Architect in VA or a state with reciprocity in VA
NAAB-accredited Bachelor or Master of Architecture
8+yr professional experience within the architecture industry
Experience managing a team of designers & consultants
Construction Administration experience from kick-off to closeout
Ability to be the primary client contact for a given project
Demonstrated technical knowledge of materials, details, & construction
Demonstrated knowledge of ADA & building codes
Experience or interest in civic & end-user engagement
Rendering abilities & an eye for excellent composition & design
Passion for collaborative design & design excellence
Please send resumes and portfolio samples to our hiring committee at hiring@wparch.com.
Make an Impact We value creativity and innovation to bring the best ideas forward. We value art and human interaction as the foundation of design. We are seeking an Architect to take charge of conceptual designs for projects, initiating ideas and leading a team to engineer the solutions. Your work will have a lasting impact, establishing the design direction that will result in quality spaces and places for our clients.
Challenge and Responsibility As an Architect at VIA, you are challenged daily to lead a team of designers and guide decisions that result in beautiful spaces while meeting the goals of our clients. You are responsible for generating conceptual designs for projects of various scales and sizes, leading the vision for technical design, implementing sustainable design strategies, and executing construction documents that bring the project to life. You are expected to build and maintain relationships with the design team and clients to achieve consistent, successful results.
Skills and Requirements
Professional degree + licensure as an Architect
Proven experience leading a team through design + construction to project completion
Strong design + technical skills
Collaborative mindset + flexibility to work in a multidisciplinary design environment
Fluency in Revit + Adobe Creative Suite
Experience collaborating with Lumion, Enscape + Sketchup
Knowledge of sustainability, integrated design + LEED guidelines
Clear presentation, graphic, written + verbal communication skills
The Benefits A competitive salary, 401k with matching contributions, and benefits such as 100% employer-paid health insurance, paid parking/public transit, paid time off, choose your own holidays/religious/cultural celebration days, time off for your birthday, and non-traditional perks such as: annual training and education stipend, time off to volunteer, an annual office closure from December 24th–January 1st, and much more!
If you are interested in this position, please submit a letter of interest, resume, and digital portfolio to Blair Valdivieso by email bval@viadesignarchitects.com.
Registration is now open for the largest annual gathering of architects and design professionals in the mid-Atlantic: Architecture Exchange East 2023. We are excited to reconvene in person this year and we’ve built in plenty of opportunities to (re)connect with your colleagues!
ArchEx 2023 features carefully curated roundtables, educational sessions, tours, engaging special events, and vendors in the ArchEx Exhibit Hall — all organized around our theme of Collaboration & Connectivity.
We’ve focused on creating interactive experiences with opportunities for peer-to-peer sharing and hands-on learning.
Online Registration>> now closed. You can register onsite Nov. 1-3, 2023
We hope you’re as excited as we are to come back together for this annual (re)union of the profession!
