2024 will mark my last year as AIA Wyoming’s representative to the Strategic Council. It has been a remarkable journey. I had the privilege of working with architects from across the globe to study critical issues impacting our profession and present Wyoming’s perspective on these issues. Now that I am poised to leave the Council, I can only look forward. The issues we discussed and the thoughtful dialogue will move the Council and our profession forward.
I am enclosing a brief narrative of the goals of this year’s study groups and a glimpse into how these studies are impacting the policies of the AIA.
Communications
The Communications Subcommittee developed a matrix to effectively share the Council’s initiatives with the broader AIA community. The reports are divided into two categories: internal and external communications.
Internal Communications
- Weekly Recap: Every Friday, we provide a comprehensive recap of upcoming events, activities and important information that councilors need to be aware of, ensuring they are always up to date. I share the weekly Friday Recaps with the board and with the State Licensing Board. Communication is vitally important!
- Quarterly Reports: Liaisons from the board-level committees provide internal reports to the Council on a quarterly basis.
External Communications
- Monthly Report: Each month, the Council produces a report that is distributed by councilors to the states. These reports are also discussed during leadership calls.
- End-of-Year Yearbook: At the end of the year, the Council compiles a yearbook that includes all the work completed by the different study groups throughout the year.
Elections
Election Results
AIA At-large Director – Graciela Carrillo, AIA New York
AIA Strategic Council Moderator – Jessica O’Donnell, AIA New Jersey
AIA Strategic Council Co-Moderator – Abigail Brown, FAIA Washington, D.C.
AIA Strategic Council At-large Representatives – Angela Brooks, FAIA, California; Jamie Crawley, AIA Texas; and Gloria Kloter, AIA Florida
2024 Study Groups
Equity
The Equity Group’s internal and external subgroups are preparing recommendations for the 2024 AIA Board through several key actions. Internally, they are reviewing and potentially revising the AIA Code of Ethics to enhance EDI in the profession and built environment, researching and identifying measurable EDI indicators for architecture firms, evaluating existing EDI research tools, analyzing the impact of legal and state policies on architectural education and practice, and reassessing the business case for diversity. Externally, they are addressing gaps in the AIA Equitable Development Framework, proposing updating the Citizen Architect’s Handbook, defining roles and responsibilities for public architects, and exploring how to better advocate for architects’ roles in equity through a comprehensive mapping of key public architects.
Climate Change/Water Equity
On Aug. 5, the Climate Action/Water working group presented to the Strategic Council. The working group has been meeting regularly to finalize research and documentation and developed several questions that were discussed in breakout groups during the presentation. The intent was to engage the full Council perspective to inform the final report and possibly direct future working groups. Key takeaways from this working group are that architects can take a stronger leadership role in addressing water scarcity in our designs and advocating for policy changes.
Design/AI
The Design/AI Group presented to the Council on Aug. 27. They developed an AI-generated video featuring councilor avatars, shown below, building on the approach introduced by last year’s group.
The final report and video will speak to the industry experts, academics, and practitioners that the group has engaged this year. The efforts were focused on formulating key recommendations for the board. This work will culminate in actionable insights that will help guide the AIA’s strategic direction in the realm of artificial intelligence. A key takeaway the group is developing is how show to equip our membership with the knowledge to adapt to an AI future.
Value of Architecture
The report will discuss:
- How the AIA can structure a recurring survey of client groups.
- Creating a new phase of services, just before construction, to integrate the work and expertise of the design team and build teams by way of a coordinated virtual model.
- Recommendations for the Institute on how technology and improving internal foresight thinking can plan for the future architect.
Wellbeing
The Wellbeing group has been busy taking a multi-prong approach to the topic. They have been interviewing health experts on the importance of including principles of wellbeing in design practice along with having conversations with others in the AIA representing the Climate Action Pledge Programs, Design Excellence and Research and Practice for Sustainability. They are also connecting with experts on trauma-informed design.
Additionally, they have been researching allied groups for potential tie-ins:
- University programs and AIAS crossover.
- Business cases for promoting integrated health and wellness.
- Architecture firms promoting wellness for their own staff.
- Organizations related to wellbeing such as Fitful, ULI, WHO, Harvard School of Public Health.
Outside of buildings, they have been connecting with individuals promoting community wellbeing through organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayor’s Institute on City Design and the Urbanism Bureau. These discussions also include connecting with other AIA chapters in cities that are successfully advocating for wellbeing in their communities.
The concept of wellbeing may be introduced into our licensure. The concept of health, safety and welfare needs to be updated to include wellbeing in lieu of welfare.
The Strategic Council presents an opportunity for collaboration through thoughtful dialogue. I have enjoyed my time immensely and have been privileged to represent the architects of AIA Wyoming while serving on the Council.
