Join us in person to hear about vital developments with your professional society, elect officers, and conduct other business at the AIA Virginia Annual Meeting of the Membership. Then, join us in a celebration of newly licensed architects, emeritus members, new fellows, and our Emerging Leaders in Architecture class of 2023. Earn 1.5 AIA LU|Elective. The meeting will be held during Architecture Exchange East at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Wednesday, Nov. 1 starting at noon.
Register for the annual meeting through the ArchEx registration sitehere>>
The following board members continue into the second year of a two-year term:
President: Kelly Callahan, AIA (AIA Central Virginia) “Ascends from 2023 President-Elect” Secretary: Karen Conkey, AIA (AIA Northern Virginia) At-Large Director: Warees Smith, AIA (AIA Northern Virginia)
AIA Virginia members can attend the annual membership meeting for free. If you are not attending anything else at ArchEx, but would like to attend the annual meeting, email cguske@aiava.org
The internationally celebrated poster show on gender-based inequality, violence, and discrimination comes to The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design.
RICHMOND, VA – August 29, 2023 – A graphic design exhibition titled Women’s Rights are Human Rights will be on view at The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design from October 6th, 2023, through February 17th, 2024. In their collective visual voice, the posters speak from various backgrounds to address globally intersecting themes of gender-based inequality, violence, and discrimination. Designed by both women and men, the posters reflect the idea that all citizens must play a vital role in protecting and advancing human rights.
Women’s Rights are Human Rights was originally curated by Elizabeth Resnick, Professor Emerita, Graphic Design Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston. In her curator’s statement, Resnick says “Gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched in every society. Women lack access to decent work and face occupational segregation and gender wage disparities. Women are often denied access to basic education and health care, suffer from violence and discrimination, and are under-represented in political and economic decision-making processes.”
The Branch will host programs and events dedicated to spreading the message created by Women’s Rights are Human Rights, “We feel that this exhibition of graphic design work by such a diverse group of artists is a strong example of how design can make an impact on everyday life. By bringing attention to this topic and providing space for dynamic discussions, we can inspire change in our community,” said The Branch’s Deputy Director, Heather Ernst.
The term women’s rights are human rights was used as early as the 1830s but was famously coined in a speech by Hilary Rodham Clinton in 1995. “If the term women’s rights were to be interchangeable with the term human rights the world community would be a better place because human rights affect the women who raise the world’s children, care for the elderly, run companies, work in hospitals, right for better education and better health care,” said Clinton.
Although they vary in language, message, and purpose, the posters create a unified voice that boldly declares that women’s rights are human rights.
About The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design (or The Branch): The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design – housed in a 1919 John Russell Pope building on the National Register of Historic Places – explores the impact of design in everyday life, working with individuals and communities to create a more equitable, beautiful, and productive future. Through thought-provoking exhibitions, we aim to spark creativity, joy, and appreciation for design excellence. Through forward-thinking programs, we empower people to recognize and advance successful design solutions to better lives.
General Information: The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design is located at 2501 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 5pm, and Sundays 1pm – 5pm. Admission in pay-what-you-can. For general information please call 804-655-6055 or visit www.branchmuseum.org. FB: @museumofarchitectureanddesign IG: @branchmuseum
About Women’s Rights are Human Rights: Organized and curated by Professor Emerita Elizabeth Resnick, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston. Learn more at www.womensrightsarehumanrights.org.
In November 2021, the Board of Housing and Community Development initiated the 2021 Code Development Cycle with the issuance of Notices of Intended Regulatory Action (NOIRAs) for the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC), Industrialized Building Safety Regulations (IBSR), and the Virginia Amusement Device Regulations (VADR). After many months of meetings and important work by numerous DHCD partners, the Board of Housing and Community Development approved the final 2021 Virginia building and fire regulations at their August 28th meeting.
Some of the significant changes included in the final regulations are:
VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION CODE (VCC)
Electrical Energy Storage Systems. Safety requirements and minimum safeguards for the installation of electrical energy storage systems have been incorporated.
In-Building Emergency Communications. A reference to the IFC has been made for the technical provisions and installation requirements for in-building emergency communication systems. The antiquated language of “radiating cable” has been replaced with “cabling” to allow for greater design flexibility.
Children’s Play Structures. Clarification that children’s play structures installed inside buildings are subject to the children’s play structures section in Chapter 4 of the VCC.
Online Permit Applications. Jurisdictions shall not be forced to accept applications by mail when an online permit application option exists.
Proactive Permit Cancellation. Permits are allowed to be cancelled or discontinued by the building official at the request of the permit holder or the owner.
Unsafe Buildings or Structures. Distinctions are now made between “buildings that are a threat to public safety during construction” and “unsafe buildings or structures” and clarifies the compliance paths for each.
Oversight of Family Day Homes. Oversight for Family Day Homes has been transferred from the Department of Social Services to the Department of Education.
Fire Walls and Separate Buildings. Clarification that fire walls create separate buildings for application of Chapter 9 of the VCC and other provisions beyond allowable height and area.
Party Walls and Fire Walls on Lot Lines. Party walls and fire walls are now required on lot lines dividing buildings for ownership purposes.
I-1 and I-3 Corridor Fire Resistance Rating. Corridor fire-resistance rating of sprinklered I-1 occupancies has been increased to 1-hour.
Tornadic Wind Design Considerations. Tornado provisions and design parameters have been incorporated as Virginia is now designated as a tornado prone region.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficients. The VA amendments to SHGCs have been removed.
Dampers and Grease Ducts. The use of dampers where grease ducts serving a Type I hood are installed is prohibited.
Heating and Cooling Equipment in Commercial and Residential Alterations. New heating and cooling equipment that are part of alterations to be sized in accordance with the VECC.
Integral Test Ports. The list of acceptable pressure test ports has been expanded beyond a simple tee fitting by recognizing integral test ports in devices that meet the intent of the code.
A2L, A2, A3, B1, and B3 Refrigerants. New referenced standards for A2L, A2, A3, and B1 refrigerants have been incorporated.
One-Step Solvent Cement. One-step solvent cement in the green color may be used for joints in CPVC piping.
Food Waste Grinders. Food waste grinders may be connected to grease interceptors if the discharge passes through a solids interceptor first.
NFIP Correlations. Several definitions have been updated to correlate with the National Flood Insurance Program minimum requirements.
ADU Sound Transmission. Accessory dwelling units are exempt from the sound transmission requirements between dwelling units.
Exterior GFCI Protection. GFCI protection for outdoor HVAC units is no longer required.
Electric Resistance Heat. Electric resistance heating as the primary heat source is prohibited if a heat pump can be installed. Supplemental electric heat for heat pumps is only allowed to energize when the outdoor temperature is below 40ºF.
VIRGINIA EXISTING BUILDING CODE (VEBC)
Elevation Certificates. Elevation certificates shall be prepared by a certified land surveyor or registered professional engineer licensed in Virginia.
Accessibility and Change of Occupancy. The trigger for accessibility to be used to determine a change of occupancy has been removed since there are no change of occupancy driven accessibility requirements.
Structural Concrete. ACI 562 is now referenced for assessing, designing, and repairing structural concrete.
EERO. There is now a pointer to the VRC for requirements regarding the operational constraints of emergency escape and rescue openings.
Toilet Facilities and Drinking Fountains. Clarification has been provided on how to apply the accessibility provisions to existing toilet facilities and drinking fountains.
Institutional Occupancies. Clarifies the applicability of the VEBC to I-2 and I-3 occupancies.
VIRGINIA PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE (VPMC)
VMC to VPMC. The short title of the Virginia Maintenance Code (VMC) has been revised to the Virginia Property Maintenance Code (VPMC) to resolve the historical and practical issue of confusion with the Virginia Mechanical Code (VMC).
Unsafe Structure vs Structure Unfit for Human Occupancy. The unsafe building provisions have been simplified and the definition for Structure Unfit for Human Occupancy has been incorporated within the Unsafe Structure definition.
Elevator Periodic Tests. The applicability of Appendix N of ASME A17.1, regarding schedules for periodic tests and inspection frequencies, has been clarified.
Existing Fire Protection Systems. The inspection, testing, and maintenance of existing fire protection systems have been removed from the VPMC since they exist within the SFPC.
SFPC Applicability. Multiple provisions in the IPMC and VPMC that fall under the jurisdiction of the fire official have been removed.
VIRGINIA STATEWIDE FIRE PREVENTION CODE (SFPC)
Fire Code Edits. Unenforceable 2021 IFC construction provisions have been removed, or revised to maintenance or operation type requirements.
Electronic Delivery of NOVs. Allows the option of transmitting a notice of violation via email.
Electrical Energy Storage Systems. Maintenance and operational provisions for electrical energy storage systems have been incorporated.
Stand-alone Alcohol-based Hand Rub Dispensers. The provisions have been revised to clarify that all alcohol-based hand rub dispensers, not just wall mounted ones, are regulated under the SFPC.
Annual Inspection Tag or Sticker. Fire protection systems subject to an annual inspection or test are now required to be marked with an inspection tag or sticker indicating latest inspection status.
Permissible Fireworks. The sale or retail display of permissible fireworks must comply with the applicable requirements of NFPA 1124-06.
VIRGINIA INDUSTRIALIZED BUILDING SAFETY REGULATIONS (IBSR)
Change of Occupancy. Clarification has been made that a building official may approve a change of occupancy of a registered industrialized building.
Unregistered Industrialized Buildings. Options for the approval of unregistered industrialized buildings have been clarified.
Moved Buildings with Active Violations. It has been clarified that the building official only has to submit a report to the SBCO for moved buildings with active violations and no report is required if there are no active violations.
VIRGINIA AMUSEMENT DEVICE REGULATIONS (VADR)
Serious Injury/Illness. A new definition has been added for Serious Injury/Illness.
Non-Mechanized Playground Equipment. Non-mechanized playground equipment is not considered an amusement device.
The next steps in the process will be to obtain the statutory authority letter from the Office of Attorney General for adoption of the final regulations and then obtain permission from the Secretary of Commerce and Trade and the Governor’s Office to publish the final regulations. After these approvals, the final regulations for the SFPC, USBC, VADR and IBSR will be published in the Virginia Register. The anticipated effective date of the final regulations is December 1, 2023.
As many of you may have noticed, Spanish versions of the 2018 Virginia regulation pamphlets are currently available on the DHCD website. It is of great significance that all of the 2021 Virginia code books, published by ICC, will also be translated into Spanish!
Development of 2021 Code Change Training is underway and live in-person classes are expected to be available beginning in October, so be on the lookout for additional information from the Virginia Building Code Academy.
As always, please feel free to contact the State Building Codes Office staff with any questions you may have.
Emerging Professional (EP*) and Young Architect (YA**) Community, we have several announcements. So please bear with me to the end. I have to make up for some lost time after welcoming my first child (a boy) this spring with my architect-husband. So apologies for not updating you all sooner on all of the good things happening. And yes, I have all-white Legos waiting for him to get big enough to not eat them.
*EP = those who have recently graduated and up to the point of initial licensure. AIA National member group is the National Associates Committee (NAC). Representatives to the NAC are known as State Associate Representatives (StARs)
**YA = those who are licensed under ten years. AIA National Knowledge Group is the Young Architects Forum (YAF). Representatives to the YAF are known as Young Architect Representatives (YARs)
Attend ArchEx East
Architecture Exchange East is our state AIA conference from the evening of November 1 through the morning of November 3. Sydney Huibregtse, your Viginia StAR, and I will be hosting some programming geared toward EPs and YAs. Thursday morning you can find us at the roundtables: first participating in the firm-size discussions and then in the career-stage discussions where we will host the EP/YA Roundtable. We would love to hear from everyone about their experiences and how we can progress together. One morning we will also co-host some casual conversation over coffee about mentorship and career growth. Lastly, we will hold an informal resume and portfolio review over a brown bag lunch on Friday for anyone wanting to get started in the profession or dust off their portfolios to start something new. Registration will soon open and we hope to see you in Richmond then.
As a self-proclaimed conference junkee (I met my husband at one, so can you blame me for liking conferences?) I have to say that ArchEx East offers the best networking experience that I have encountered. It’s intimate and has something for everyone.
Apply to be the next Young Architect Representative
Alas, my term as Virginia’s representative to the Young Architects Forum is coming to a close and we are looking for my replacement. (See more info here) I have had the most rewarding two years and I am glad to have served my constituents. If you would like to volunteer, please reach out. If you know someone who would be a good fit, please connect them to me–I would love to talk to them about the role. I’m not completely disappearing and will stay on in a mentorship capacity for the next YAR (more on that in a future newsletter). With Paul Battaglia at the helm of AIA Virginia, there are great things in store and it’s a great time to be involved. Must be licensed for fewer than ten years and a member of AIA Virginia to apply.
YAF News
Paul Battaglia and I collaborated on an article regarding the role of advocacy in architecture for the recent Advocacy-themed publication of “Connections”. Our article “Architect as Advocate” is as much educational as it is a call to action. “Connections” is the quarterly online publication put out by the Young Architects Forum. We hope you enjoy reading and catch a glimpse of the Virginia capital on the cover.
“Now YA Know” is a quick poster with links to national programming for EPs and YAs. Check it out for webinars, toolkits, and social meetups for the NOMA and WLS conferences.
Quarterly YAF Publication “Connection”. Links from Knowledge Net, are also available HERE.
Feel free to connect with me, too. What are some ways your firm is working with emerging professionals and young architects? Send me an email or a message on LinkedIn! As always, I’m here for you.
Carrie Parker, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Associate Vice President at CannonDesign Young Architect Representative for Virginia to the Young Architect’s Forum, 2022-2024 AIA Virginia Young Architect Award, 2020
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!
Have you recently passed the ARE? Upgrade your membership to Architect using this AIA form. or send an email to your Member Services Director, Cathy Guske, cguske@aiava.org
Since my last letter, the summer has flown by. A beach trip in the middle of July has me wondering why I thought that would be a good idea…..too hot to be on the beach? Children with a boundless amount of energy? What could go wrong? Long story for a different day!
Things have been crazy busy. Of course, these last three years have taught me that everything can turn on a dime, so I am happy for the busy! Things at AIA Virginia have been busy as well.
The last week in June saw the Art of Practice held at the Common House in Charlottesville. For those of you who could not make it you missed engaging conversations, timely information, and great dialogue during the round table discussions.
AIAVA Honor nominations have been received, and the Honors Committee is reviewing and deliberating.
AIAVA Design Award submissions have been received, and the Jury is busy with their review.
Ever wonder about the planning for ArchEx? It is an effort that starts, at the closing of the previous ArchEx. This effort has ramped up recently as details of the Event are tweaked and refined. ArchEx is scheduled for November 1st through 3rd in Richmond, Virginia.
The rumors are true… Visions will be held on Thursday evening! So mark your calendars and watch for an email with details and registration information in early September.
Part of my summer busy was cleaning out old paperwork from my home file “cabinet”. I ran across some AIA paperwork which reminded me of the service others have given to the profession we see today. It made me question what will the profession look like tomorrow or 10 years from now? In closing, I would like to encourage everyone to participate in AIA events, serve on committees and be active. AIA Virginia is a member-driven organization. The value of AIA Virginia is in the many voices coming together for the greater good of the profession.
Participate, be active, make your voice heard, and let’s imagine together where the profession will be 10 years from now!
Jennifer Leeds, Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia) from AIA Maryland Jessica Niles, AIA (Hampton Roads) from AIA International Casey Parker, AIA (Richmond) from AIA Maryland Francis Treves, AIA (Central Virginia) from AIA New Jersey Chase Webb, AIA (Richmond) from AIA Oklahoma
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!
Have you recently passed the ARE? Upgrade your membership to Architect using this AIA form. or send an email to your Member Services Director, Cathy Guske, cguske@aiava.org
Here’s your chance to design the next AIA Virginia member birthday postcard! AIA Virginia will feature your design on the front of the birthday postcards sent to all members since 2018.
Enter your design(s) for a chance to win a free registration to AIA Virginia’s 2023 annual conference, Architecture Exchange East. All entrants will receive 10% off their 2023 ArchEx registration.
Entries are welcome from AIA Virginia members, Virginia architecture program students, or other architecture firm employees.
Specifications: Size: 4 inches tall by 6 inches wide File type: high-resolution .jpg files all color palettes welcome!
