November 20, 2024

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AIA New Jersey Members At the Podium at the AIA Tri-State Fusion Conference

 

AIA New Jersey was well represented at the AIA Tri-State Fusion Conference in Hershey, PA, as content providers and industry experts.  Four seminars featured AIA NJ members as panelists and presenters, attracting robust attendance from the attendees. 

 

 

The audience was captivated and charged with questions during AIA New Jersey – The New Jersey Society of Architects Past President Joshua Zinder, AIA, and honorable Fellow, Robert Hillier, FAIA, Tri-State Fusion Conference program on Architect as a Developer: Firm Stability, Growth, & Project Integrity.

About the Session: The profit proposition for an architectural practice typically hovers around $1.00 per square foot on a project, paid and earned one time. The reward for doing what we love seems slender and presents an impediment to the architect’s financial sustainability.

An alternative approach is for architects to develop an independent real estate development net worth that can far exceed the value of their practice, provide an ample nest egg for their retirement or help navigate their firm through economic downturns. The panelists in this session drew from their personal experiences in multiplying their firms’ revenues while pursuing paths to favored projects and retaining owner-level control.

 

 

There was a full house for our Allied Member Weyerhaeuser / Trus Joist’s Spec Academy presentation on Engineered Wood Products in Mid-Rise Structures. North East Territory Manager CJ Roberts is a terrific presenter and really knows his stuff!  

About the Session:

Mid-rise buildings that are wood-framed have routinely been viewed as a cost effective, sustainable construction solution. Designing such buildings using engineered wood products is a common way to produce successful outcomes, provided the relevant code provisions and standards for comfort and acoustics are addressed. Therefore, this session explored some of the most relevant topics, including: 

· Allowable heights and areas relevant to mid-rise wood structures defined by the building code

· Fire-resistant requirements for engineered wood products in Type III and Type V structures 

· Specific code requirements for fire-resistance rated floor, wall and roof assemblies

· Fire testing methods including flame spread ratings with and without Fire-Retardant Treatment (FRT) wood 

· Acoustic principles of one- and two-layer rated floor/ceiling assemblies related to Sound Transition Class (STC) and Impact Insulation Class (IIC) ratings 

 

 

Exciting inspiration was provided by AIA New Jersey – The New Jersey Society of Architects President Brian W. Penschow Aia, Past President Joshua Zinder, AIA, SFx Chair Jeremiah Russell, AIA, and SFx Board Member Lee Calista, AIA. Optimizing Strategic Small Firm Operations was an educational session that represented a variety of small firm models, informing the audience of best practices that have resulted in professional success. 

About the Session: Operating a small architectural firm requires a multitude of business skills and strategic thinking to be successful. These skills are all needed for bringing in new design work, keeping staff billable and thus employed, making a profit for the firm, and doing all of this repeatedly. Most architects realize quickly that their architectural education included little if any training in business management.

This session included a panel of four architects who each represent a variety of small firm business types. Each one has developed their own type of firm in ways that have proven successful – from generalist to specialist, from architect to architect services, as an architect / real estate developer, and other models.

 

 

AIA New Jersey – The New Jersey Society of Architects President Brian W. Penschow Aia contributed to another dynamic discussion, this time on Emerging Technology and Firm Practice with colleagues AIA New York State President Willy Zambrano, FAIA, Matthew Krissel, FAIA, and moderator Jamie Ober, AIA. The program was developed by Elysia Mikkelsen, AIA 

About the Session: The past few decades have made it abundantly clear that advancements in technology directly impact the profession and practice of architecture. Drafting boards have been replaced by computers, CAD has evolved into BIM, and AI is looming large ahead. Recognizing that technology will continue to progress at an exponential rate, architects must learn to embrace newly created opportunities to guide the impact on our profession rather than get left behind. This session was led by a panel of firm leaders who embrace new technology and featured insightful presentations and discussions.

 

 

 

By Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, AIA NJ Advocacy Consultant | Posted in AIA-NJ News, Uncategorized | Tagged: #AIANewJersey, #AIANewYorkState, #AIAPennsylvania, #BrianPenschowAIA, #CJRoberts, #ElysiaMikkelsenAIA, #JamieOberAIA, #JeremiahRussellAIA, #JoshuaZinderAIA, #LeeCalistaAIA, #MatthewKrisselFAIA, #RobertHillierFAIA, #TriStateFusion, #WeyerhaeuserTrusJoist, #WillyZambranoFAIA | Comments (0)