2017 Directory

23 the only valid words were those of material- ism…” Disenfranchisement seems inevitable when people do not have a sense of control over their surroundings, not to mention a promise of opportunity. My class examines these types of places, how they are created, and how they ultimately affect our relative sense of engage- ment with one another, our communities, and the concept of a common good. In the second semester of my class, we zoom out further to take a look at selected works of great world architecture to pull out recurring themes that have shaped the built environment through time. In looking at milestones from ziggurats to the Pantheon to the White House, we analyze buildings as the realization of the values of a culture. We discuss how architecture is not only an expression – often of power – but is a language that has been codified, reused and bastardized through time. This helps students understand why after so many centuries, we still see the persistence of classical forms. Stu- dents achieve a cultural literacy by learning to read what is mostly taken for granted, and this will extend to create an elemental understand- ing of other cultures as they see other parts of the world. The most important and elemental thing I have learned by teaching is that high school students have a tremendous amount of intuition for architecture and design. Many architects I know have been pleasantly surprised by the caliber of ideas that my students have in their approach to their work. Their innate aptitude has further supported my belief that architec- ture can be accessible to everyone, and that to truly improve our built environments, we must capture and cultivate this potential. I want my students to exit my class knowing their stake in the built environment and that any debate about architecture of the public realm is within their domain. My students are empowered to be more astute users and shapers of architecture, and this is just one step to creating a more eq- uitable society and inspiring built environment for us all. b State Government Network Annual Meeting BY MIKE POTTER, AIA S tate Government Network met in St. Louis, MO on June 15 and 16, 2017. Opening the meeting was AIA first vice president Carl Elefante, FAIA. He discussed visions for 2018 which included thinking and acting globally, regulation and licensure and urban revitalization. Michael Armstrong, CEO of NCARB spoke next, talking about changes that are coming to NCARB. These include changes to the exam and the number of hours that are required for licensure. ARE 4.0 sunsets in 2018. A round table discussion was held and everyone had an opportunity to speak. Alaska brought up that architects are being excluded from designing ed- ucation facilities. The state is using cookie cutter designs and going directly to the contractors. Delicensure of professions was also discussed. Several states think that licensing a profession puts an undue burden on those who want to practice, whether they be hairdresser or archi- tects. Encroachment by interior designers is also a hot topic in several states. SGN continues to communicate via email on issues that affect individual states. These issues are discussed and if a state has seen a similar issue, the results are sent around. Some topics that have been discussed are stipends for Design/Build proposals, Lien Rights for professionals, the Citizen Architect and how to get involved, and instruments of service or copyright of drawings. SGN is also beginning to have conference calls and webinars on specific topics as the need arises. b