2018 Directory

6 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .18 | www.aia-wyoming.org 2018 has been a pivotal year in architecture, locally and around the globe. AIA WYOMING PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY DAN STALKER, AIA W ith the perspective of a small-town practitioner in a very small state, I am amazed every day with the abilities of architects. What is even more amazing are the technical advances that allow our visions to be drawn, to be understood by our building partners and how these projects can actually reach fruition. What a process! How can one hope to build a project designed by Santiago Calatrava, on time and within budget? Our profession, like no other, has evolved with ever increasing demands of our time, our energy, our expertise and our judgment. As I look back on my career, I find myself to have evolved from a well-rounded practitioner into a cheerleader of sorts, eager to be inspired by the architects of the future. As my tenure on the Board of Directors of AIA Wyoming continues, I have some observations to share. What I feel we need to celebrate daily is the value of individual architects, the ones who inspire us, the ones that lead us, the ones that represent us. Yes, we need to have inspiration- al leaders in our lives and in our offices, but we also need to faithfully serve as leaders in our communities and more importantly, provide leadership as examples to our peers. The architects I most admire have all inspired me to become a better designer, to develop an appreciation of the business of architecture, the ones who have encouraged me to become active in my community, to honor diversity, to keep my ethical behavior in check, to instill a commitment to serve and to work every day in a way that truly benefits humanity. We can set a shining example to others by the way we live our lives as well as in the ways we work and the ways we treat others. As I continue to serve AIA Wyoming, I realize that I have had the pleasure to work with a wonderful group of people serving on the AIA Wyoming Board of Directors and celebrate the volunteers that con- tribute energy to our standing committees and hosted events. Under Susan Menghini’s careful guidance, I feel we have made a difference. I have also enjoyed sharing Wyoming’s successes with the fine folks in our region, the WMR (Western Mountain Region). During my term as President, I have had the unique opportunity to share the stage with our national leaders at last year’s AIA Wyoming 70th Anniversary Conference and Celebration. I was gratified in being asked to serve as emcee at this milestone event, to witness how a small group of dedicat- ed members could make this conference not only a reality, but a huge success. And we have the opportunity next year as we will be hosting the WMR Conference in Jackson. I look forward to hosting another event, in meeting new friends and in honoring architects from around our region. The opportunities as professional architects are larger and more de- manding now than we could ever have imagined. I am so proud of the work that architects from around our state continue to provide. Our design work is second to none. The complexities of the design process, in dealing with client expectations, in understanding and addressing restrictive guidelines and ordinances, in working within the bounds of changing building codes, the endless dialogue with planning boards and building departments can be demanding, but can also be reward- ing. These are more often difficult tasks; indeed these are tasks that few other professional organizations would find remotely rewarding. Would another profession even dare take these on? I doubt it. We do it every day. The glamorous daily grind, we are tasked to solve so many problems, insurmountable issues where other professions would simply opt out or punt, and still, at the end of the day, with all the complex- ities, we come up with a beautiful building. Our due diligence, or perhaps our creative, stubborn attitudes are due to a resolute stand in demanding great design. Our efforts will continue to pay off. Our common goals of building beautiful, lasting buildings will be passed on to the next generation of Wyoming architects. A lasting legacy. What a great profession! What I would like to emphasize to all AIA Wyoming members young and older…let your voices be heard! All of our training, all of our vision, all of our passion can be sources of inspiration to others. More importantly, our voices can and should be heard by a larger audience. I encourage every AIA Wyoming architect to challenge themselves in some way, every day, to truly make a difference. b As I peruse the myriad of architectural publications, read daily articles from our leaders, follow the politics surrounding our profession and monitor closely the design projects that architects submit for critical review, I become quickly overwhelmed.