SFx Virginia Update

Posted on by cguske

Greetings Small Firm Exchange Virginia,

It was a true pleasure to see many of you this past month at AIA VA’s Design Forum.  Virginia is an amazing place to practice, not just for our long history of architectural excellence, but also because of the community. 

At the National level, last month SFx held it’s first ever AIA Candidate Forum.  This is not only a milestone for the SFx organization but also shows the importance of small firms as the backbone of AIA, representing ~75% of all firms nationwide.  Candidates for AIA President-Elect and At-Large Board positions were given the opportunity to speak to SFx State representatives throughout the nation.  You can read more about the Candidate Forum in this newsletter from National SFx Chair Daguin Fortuna: 

SFx Chair Letter – April 2026 A Defining Moment for Small Firm Representation

And here is the SFx Insider for April 2026.  This includes a brief synopsis of each candidate and their platform.  You will need to click on the PDF attachment:

April SFX Insider: Meet the Candidates

We continue to hold monthly virtual meetings every 3rd Thursday. Our next SFx VA meeting will be May 21, 2026 at 12:30 PM.  If you have not yet had the opportunity to attend, we would love to have you join us.  Microsoft Teams meeting credentials are noted below

Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/27388847162207?p=nt7AoY44rX6X3LiBpo
Meeting ID: 273 888 471 622 07
Passcode: D3x3bD2k

Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions, comments, or ideas.  cj@circlesquarecross.com

State Building Code Technical Review Board – Overview and Updates

Posted on by cguske

The State Building Code Technical Review Board (Review Board) is a 14‑member body within the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), whose members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the General Assembly. One member is selected from a slate nominated by AIA Virginia. The Review Board plays a key role in ensuring consistent statewide application of Virginia’s building and fire codes.

The primary purpose of the Review Board is to hear appeals from enforcement actions under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC), Virginia Industrialized Building Safety Regulations, and Virginia Amusement Device Regulations. Applicants for appeals are generally persons or entities regulated under the applicable codes and who disagree with an enforcement action or are otherwise aggrieved by the application of the code. The codes require the filing of an appeal within a certain time period and generally an appeal must first be made to the local board of appeals and then to the Review Board if relief is not granted by the local board. Both the building and fire codes contain provisions advising of the right to appeal and directing aggrieved parties to the appropriate appeals board.

A secondary function of the Review Board is to issue official interpretations of the USBC and SFPC and to provide recommendations to the Board of Housing and Community Development regarding potential changes to these codes. Interpretation requests may be submitted by code enforcement personnel with the approval of the local building, maintenance, or fire official.

Throughout 2025 and early 2026, the Review Board heard numerous appeal cases and considered several code interpretations. Topics included:

  • Appealability of criminal summonses issued under the SFPC
  • Whether the removal of a local fire official can be appealed
  • Unsafe structures and demolition prior to conclusion of the appeals process
  • Egress requirements and exit remoteness
  • Fireworks displays and licensure
  • Shaft enclosures in Coastal A and Coastal High-Hazard areas
  • Assisted living facilities within Group R-2, R-3, or R-5
  • Crawlspace repairs and alterations
  • Additional technical matters

Additional details and information related to the above topics can be found at the Review Board’s webpage, here: https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/state-building-code-technical-review-board-sbctrb

For questions or assistance, please contact the State Building Codes Office within the DHCD.

State Building Codes Office
sbco@dhcd.virginia.gov
804-371-7150

Demystifying NCARB AXP Experience Setting O

Posted on by cguske

When navigating NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP), it can take a while to fill all six buckets. Speaking for myself, it was quite the challenge to acquire all of my Construction and Evaluation hours. That was until I realized there are alternative methods to collect AXP hours. Welcome to Experience Setting O: Other Experience Opportunities. If you have had an internship at an engineering firm, have volunteered at a construction event, or have recently entered a design competition, you may be entitled to AXP compensation!

We put together a quick one-page document demystifying a handful of different methods for collecting hours in Experience Setting O. While there is no minimum requirement in this category, there is a maximum. A candidate may earn a maximum of 1,860 hours under experience setting O. Please refer to the AXP Guidelines from NCARB for more information on who can approve the hours and additional opportunities.

Design Awards Jury Chair Announced

Posted on by cguske

Dean Maltz, AIA, is set to convene and chair the Design Awards Jury for AIA Virginia. As a Managing Partner at Shigeru Ban Architects (SBA), based in New York City and focusing on the Americas, Dean is responsible for executing Shigeru Ban’s creative vision for experiential architecture and design at all scales. He holds a B.Arch. from the Cooper Union School of Architecture and an M.Arch. from Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Advocating for low-carbon design practices, Dean is a vocal proponent of the use of mass timber construction as a sustainable alternative to concrete and steel. He is a frequent lecturer and speaker at universities and industry events while holding licenses to practice architecture in seven U.S. states.

A part of SBA for more than 20 years, Maltz has led multiple award-winning projects recognized for design excellence and technological innovation, including Cast Iron House (2021), Aspen Art Museum (2014), and Metal Shutter House (2010).

His current projects include the Altadena Center for Community in Los Angeles (2026); a 19-story hybrid mass timber residential condominium in Vancouver (2028); a 14-story residential condominium in Miami (2029); and a single-story pre-K wood structure in Maui (2026).

Dean is a recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit (1984), the American Society of Interior Design Pinnacle Award (2005), and the Peter Cooper Public Service Award (2024).

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2026 AIA Virginia Design Awards>>

Licensing Changes to CSI’s Specifications Formats

Posted on by cguske

by Hana Nguyenky, AIA

As of March 2026, CSI has changed its licensing structure and method of access for all its specification formats. These formats include OmniClass, UniFormat, MasterFormat, and SectionFormat. The fee structure is currently advertised as a firm-wide subscription-based license, where the cost will depend on annual firm revenue. Previously, licenses to use any formats were issued to the individual. Those previously issued licenses for digital and printed copies of the formats will remain active, and individuals will be held to the licensing user agreements they accepted during their purchase. Anyone who wishes to use the previous formats may continue to do so without changing their license. If their specifications are monetized and used by others without a license, then a new license will be required of those users.

If you currently outsource specifications writing to a third-party firm, you still must have a license if you use the specifications as a deliverable within a project manual or referenced on the drawings. If you utilize a third-party platform to write your project specs, you must also have a license to export, share templates, and submit as a deliverable. This is in addition to the software platform having their own agreements to use the formats within their products. 

For more information, visit https://www.csiresources.org/standards/cds-faq. There are additional links provided at the bottom of that webpage.

To learn more about the new method of access to the formats, visit https://theconstructionstandard.com/.

Please email CSI for questions about their formats at csi@csinet.org and email CDS for questions with specific use cases at info@theconstructionstandard.com.

Design Forum Reflections

Posted on by cguske

Over the last few days, I’ve been reflecting on last week’s Design Forum held at Virginia Tech.  Not only did I come away inspired and reenergized, I also have a renewed sense of optimism for our profession. The program underscored the impact that architects and designers can have on society, not only through the places we design, but through how we think, lead, and engage with the communities we serve.

The theme of Design Forum XVII was “Against the Grain.” Each speaker offered a distinctly different approach to this theme – from the creative and innovative use of local building materials, to reimagining centuries-old building materials through advancing technologies, to mitigating threats to fragile ecosystems through both building and landscape design. Together, these examples reinforced that meaningful design often begins with a willingness to challenge convention.

The event also reminded me that good design is not just about aesthetics. It is equally about the underlying values that fuel the work we do for our clients and communities. In that sense, good design is not only visible in the built product; it is embedded in the systems and processes that shape the work from the very beginning. 

This reflection also brought me back to something I shared last November at Architecture Exchange East: that optimism is a key characteristic of effective leadership. As Melinda Gates has said, “Optimism isn’t a belief that things will automatically get better, it’s a conviction that we can make things better.” That idea felt especially relevant after the Forum. The future of architecture will be shaped by practitioners who are willing to think differently, act boldly, and be agents of the positive change our profession can create.

Sincerely,
Bill Hopkins, AIA
AIA Virginia President

Read 2026 Design Committee Chair, Jesse Gemmer’s reflections and view the DFXVII gallery>>

Newly Licensed

Posted on by cguske

We understand the dedication and effort required to study for and pass the ARE. Congratulations to the following members for passing their exams and gaining licensure. This is great news that thrills all of us and we are so proud to call you architects!

Emily Koller, AIA (Northern Virginia)
Mahamudul Hasan Asif, AIA (Northern Virginia)
Grace E. Becker, AIA (Northern Virginia)

Have you recently passed the ARE? Change your membership to Architect at me.aia.org

Are you ready to get licensed? AIA Virginia has discounted 60-day Amber Book subscriptions. Read more about it here>>

Support our Associate members on their path to licensure with your support of the discounted Amber Book subscription. Donate to the AIA Virginia Foundation

Have questions about licensure? Contact AIA Virginia’s State Licensing Advisor, Gina Robinson, AIA, at gina.robinson@hdrinc.com

New Members

Posted on by cguske

We are always excited to welcome new members to Virginia. The following members recently joined the ranks of AIA Virginia.

New Architect Members
Ryan Carbone, AIA (Central Virginia)
Avneet Luthra, AIA (Northern Virginia)
Ruth Rau, AIA (Northern Virginia)

New Associate Members
James Bull, Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia)
Ross Cannon, Assoc. AIA (Coastal Virginia)
Michael Cavicchio, Assoc. AIA (Blue Ridge)
Saidy Cruz Martinez, Assoc. AIA (Blue Ridge)
Anosha Fatima, Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia)
Sadaf Hashimi, Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia)
Angela Schultz, Assoc. AIA (Coastal Virginia)
Lauren Thompson, Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia)

Transfers into AIA Virginia
Annika M. Detwiler, AIA (Northern Virginia) from AIA Maryland
Sari Diller, AIA (Northern Virginia) from AIA Maryland

Upgraded to Emeritus
William R. Drury, AIA Member Emeritus (Northern Virginia)
Kristen C. Bell, AIA Member Emeritus (Richmond)
Robert P. Tierney, AIA Member Emeritus (Richmond)
Nora O’Sullivan, AIA Member Emeritus (Northern Virginia)
Joan M. Dannemann, AIA Member Emeritus (Northern Virginia)
Jean Kennedy-Sleeman, AIA Member Emeritus (Coastal Virginia)
Ercument Ackman, Intl. Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia)

New/Renewed Allied Members
Joanna Orallo, Architectural Project Manager, Marvin

View all of the allied members of AIA Virginia

Demystifying Fellowship for Small Firms Practitioners

Posted on by cguske

Please Join the AIA Small Firm Exchange (SFx) for an exclusive panel discussion designed to shed light on the AIA Fellowship process and what it means for small firm practitioners.

📅 April 30, 2026
🕛 2:00-3:30 PM ET


Register for the free online session: aia.zoom.us/meeting/register/ValXAnvbRyGztAwn7Bx77g

Panelists:

  • Jeanne Jackson, FAIA – Chancellor of the AIA College of Fellows, Utah
  • Greg Ibanez, FAIA – Former Regional Rep to CoF, Texas
  • Alicia Belton, FAIA – Founding Principal UDP, Minnesota
  • Thomas Lawrence FAIA – AIA Sfx Board member, Washington

Host/Moderator:

  • Joshua Zinder, AIA – SFx Board Member, New Jersey

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights and guidance directly from leaders who know the Fellowship process best!

The talk is gear to small firm practitioners,  but it is open to everyone and any one pursuing fellowship will find it to be helpful.

I hope you can join.

NAC Update

Posted on by cguske

The NAC Q1 newsbite gives a rough summary of what the committee has been up to this past quarter! 

Thank you to everyone that took the time to respond to the Associate Member Survey. Your voices truly matter and we appreciate all of the productive feedback!

Based on the survey (view results here),  Associates members in Virginia share a strong desire for professional growth, meaningful connections, and guidance on the path to licensure. While AIA Virginia continues to provide value through events, community engagement, and continuing education, these responses highlight an opportunity to further align resources with the evolving needs of Associate members. Particularly, respondents shared a need for licensure support, mentorship, and early career development. Strengthening this alignment will be key to fostering deeper engagement and supporting the next generation of architects across the Commonwealth.

We hope to take this feedback into consideration, ensuring that we can serve all of our members across the state! Thank you again for your time and input.

Aidan Brown, Associate AIA
AIA Virginia StAR