NJ State Convention – 3 Weeks Away

October 7, 2015

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AIANJ State Convention 

Register Now on the convention web page to not miss a single keynote or tour.

Friday October 23rd and Saturday October 24th.
Hanover Marriott

More information and online Registration:

http://www.aianjconvention.com/

A change is being made to the Friday night event –

The Friday night dinner has been changed to a Reception similar to year’s past.  For those who register for a full two day package or Friday only get the reception included.  If you would like to attend just the Reception with none of the other sessions or keynotes, it will cost $50.00 a la carte, and includes two drinks and hors d’oeuvres.   Announcement of Design Award winners will happen at reception.

If you have already registered for the dinner, you will be receiving an email soon with information about refunds.

This years Convention also hosting a Student Design Competition, entry deadline October 16th.  Find out more online.

Student Design Competition

Essex County’s Branch Brook Park holds a Cherry Blossom Festival every year. Design a stage pavilion to be used for festival activities such as jazz performances and theatre plays.

The park has over 4,300 cherry blossom trees. The most in any park in America. They are all spread across the park. Many of them are located near the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, where a festival is held every year to celebrate the coming of the spring season. Design a stage pavilion to be used for the festival activities, such as jazz performances and theatre plays. The pavilion must support a 30×40 stage with a back stage of at least 10 feet, and seating for 100-300 people. It must demountable and stored for use annually. Must be handicap accessible and comply with all state codes. The park will provide seating and sightlines shall be considered. The stage must be within the boundary facing the parking lot. Various food/local artists’ vendors will be on the parking lot. The event will be during the day. The form/design may be changed to protect the stage from weather.”

Also featured this year a wide range of discussions from the Keynotes :

Keynote I

Five Significant Architectural Challenges:

Diversity, Inequity, Environment, Building Community & Limited Financial Resources

Speaker: Shirley Blumberg, KPMB Architects
Credits: 1.5 LU

Architects have a fundamental responsibility and unique opportunity to produce architecture that can benefit society. Gain a better understanding of a city building and rudimentary environmental concerns while addressing socio-economic issues in the realm of the new context for practice.

Student Keynote II

Kanye Architecture: Just West of Insanity

Speaker: Obiekwe M. Okolo

The practice of architecture once was one of the most revered crafts in our world. The architect was the hero and the building was his weapon. Peter Eisenman, in his Gold Medal acceptance speech, made the argument that we as a profession needed to return to the days of the hero architect. I respectfully disagree, simply because I don’t know that we ever left those days behind. The problem is the rest of the world has. We now find ourselves in the era of the collective hero. So what happens when a profession is practicing outdated ideals in an up-to-date world? What even makes a hero? Why do we feel like a profession for people can exist on a pedestal above people? Kanye West was once a renowned producer, responsible for some of the most time-honored audial art of our time. But the “artist” we know now is far from that. The persona has become greater than the person, and worse even, bigger than the product. So I’m hoping you’ll join me in trying to answer a critical question: What does it say about us as a profession, that someone who is by all accounts ego incarnate, and by his is “God’s gift to art”, feels he can relate so closely to our practice that he can represent us, without invitation?

Keynote III

A Discussion with the Deans

Speakers: Thomas R. Fisher, University of Minnesota, Urs P. Gauchat, NJIT & Tom Hanrahan, Pratt Institute
Credits: 1.5 LU

Gain an understanding of the education of architecture today from three prominent Deans of Architecture Schools across the country.

Keynote IV

Retrospective of Michael Graves Work

Speaker: Karen Nichols, AIA
Credits: 1.5 LU

Retrospective of the most famous New Jersey architect of the century. Gain an understanding of his unique work, his contributions to the industry and his creativity with a purpose.

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