Rostrum April 2012

author of the “AIA New

Jersey Guidebook 150 Best

Buildings and Places”, to

discuss selections from the

book. To celebrate the

occasion, we held our

meeting in one of the

buildings from the Guidebook

- Eberhardt Hall at NJIT. This

beautiful gothic Victorian

building was constructed in

1857 and was designed by

John Welch, one of the

founders of the American

Institute of Architects. It

operated as an orphanage

until it was acquired by the

N e w a r k C o l l e g e o f

Engineering in 1947. The

most recent renovation of the

building in 2004 converted

the building into the

University Club for NJIT

alumni and was a great

setting for a Newark and

Suburban meeting.

On a sad note, we recently

lost a member of our

architecture community.

Louis Edward Barbieri, a Past

President of Newark and

Suburban, passed away on

March 21st. Mr. Barbieri

practiced Architecture and

Planning ever since his

graduation from Notre Dame

in 1973. My condolences go

out to Lou’s family and

friends.

Kevin McCormick, AIA,

LEED®AP AIANS President,

2012

President’s Message

Rostrum 2012

AIA Newark and Suburban Architects A Section of AIA New Jersey

AIA New Jersey is a Chapter and Region of the American Institute of Architects

APRIL 2012

Issue 4

The Rostrum

Official newsletter of the

Newark & Suburban

Section of AIA-NJ

Published monthly

Submit events, case

studies, photos, comments,

or other content for

consideration to:

[email protected]

President’s Message 1

Practice Notes 2

Diversity Strategies 3

USGBC Seminar 4

Jury Call - (the good kind!)

5

Grassroots 2012 6

Inside this issue: develop and implement policy

proposals and oppose

p r o p o s a l s t h a t

disproportionately affect

small firms.

Revitalizing America’s

Neighborhoods. The AIA

urges Congress to enact a

multi-year reauthorization of

t h e f e d e r a l s u r f a c e

transportation laws that

maintains funding levels,

invests in all modes of

t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , a n d

recognizes the multiple

enhancements that well-

designed transportation

projects can bring to a

community.

These issues are further

outlined on the AIA's

A d v o c a c y w e b s i t e :

www.a ia .o rg/advocacy /

federal/AIAB092674

Louise Addonizio, AIA, Justin

Mihalik, AIA and I visited the

office of the Honorable

Rodney Frel inghuysen,

Congressman of the 11th

District of NJ, and met with

his Senior Legislat ive

Ass is tant, Mr. Daniel

Ostermueller. Visiting Capitol

Hill and taking part in the

democratic process was an

interesting and exciting

experience.

Also in March, Newark and

Suburban welcomed Philip

Kennedy-Grant, FAIA, co-

The 2012 AIA Grassroots

Leadership and Legislative

Conference was held in

Washington DC the first week

of March. I was joined at the

conf e rence by o ther

members of the Newark and

S u b u r b a n E x e c u t i v e

Commi t t ee – Lou i s e

Addonizio, AIA, John Cwikla,

AIA, Stephen Rooney, AIA

and Jason Peist, Assoc. AIA.

The theme for this year’s

convention was Leadership,

Advocacy & Communication.

AIA Component Leaders from

across the country visited our

nation’s capital to lobby their

congressmen and senators

on the following issues:

Remove Barriers to

Private Sector Lending.

This is to get funding for

stalled construction projects

that were still either still on

the drawing boards or

completed and shelved.

Save Energy, Create Jobs

In order to get America

building again, Congress

should incentivize energy

efficient construction and

renovations of existing

buildings.

Helping Small Firms

Grow. The AIA urges

C o n g r e s s a n d t h e

Administration to recognize

the unique needs of smaller

architecture firms as they

clients, as opposed to the bottom 20 percent. Despite

all the challenges of today’s economy, this could help

you move forward, as

opposed to holding on to the stubborn past.”

Parting ways with one fifth of your client base may be

too extreme for most

architects to consider, but embracing the idea on a

smaller scale might entail dropping your single worst

client. The point is to focus on making thoughtful

choices on the quality of clients, and to focus more

time and effort working with

people who respect and reward your practice for the

services and value provided.

Steve Whitehorn is a

recognized leader in the

a r c h i t e c t u r a l a n d engineering f ie ld for

providing practice and risk management services. He is

currently working with AIA NJ to develop a seminar

program on “Success Factors for a Winning Practice,”

which is planned for October

2012.

Author: Ronald C. Weston,

AIA, LEED AP BD+C, / AIA NS Professional Practice

Committee Chair / Email:

[email protected]

and delivery processes more efficient. By eliminating

waste from our practices more time can be focused

on the craft of architecture

that inspires us, and we also can improve the bottom

line…making more with less.

Letting Go of Clients

In his latest newsletter piece

titled “The Bottom 20 Percent,” Steve Whitehorn of

Whitehorn Financial Group, Millburn, New Jersey, writes

about the virtues of letting

go of bad clients. Whitehorn says, “It doesn’t take long to

understand which clients are your most difficult. These

are the clients that do not pay well, always have a

problem, and are most susceptible to creating

tension. Any time you touch

their file or answer their email, you lose money.”

In the current recession the notion of letting go of any

c l i e n t s m a y s o u n d unimaginable; however, with

some signs of an improving

economy and realization about the negative impact

bad clients can have on firms, such a strategy may

be just what is needed to position your practice to

improve in the coming cycle.

Whitehorn adds, “You would be amazed at the impact this

has on your firm’s bottom line, and the burden that is

lifted from your team’s shoulders. Hopefully you

take a strategic approach in

deciding which clients to work with, why not take a

similarly strategic approach in declining to work with the

clients that cost you the most money? Imagine the impact on your firm if you could focus your energy on

your top 20 percent of

Mies van der Rohe’s aphorism “less is more,” is

well known to architects for defining the minimalist, lean

approach utilized in modern

design. As in design, less can also be more in

professional practice, and this column features two

such examples.

Embracing Lean Design

In his recent Technology in

Architecture Practice (TAP) conference presentation

titled "Design Management:

A Lean Approach," Bruce C o u s i n s , A I A [email protected] outlines lean project delivery

concepts applicable to architectural practice. The

lean approach seeks to eliminate waste in the

design and construction process.

The Lean Construction

I n s t i t u t e www.leanconstruction.org is

an organization that aims to extend to the construction

industry the lean production

revolution that started in manufacturing. The Toyota

Production System is one such lean manufacturing

philosophy that is centered on preserving value with less

work. Cousins notes how architects can add value to

the traditionally inefficient

and wasteful design process by employing integrated

project delivery (IPD) and b u i l d i n g i n f o r m a t i o n

mode l i n g ( B IM ) , i n combination with lean, value

-driven thinking.

While the advanced systems thinking of IPD, BIM and

Lean methods may not directly be applicable to small practitioners, all architects can benefit from

looking to make their design

Rostrum 2012 Issue 4

Page 2

AIA Newark & Suburban

Board Members

Officers

KEVIN McCORMICK, AIA

President

LOUISE ADDONIZIO, AIA

President-Elect

JOHN A. CWIKLA, AIA

First Vice President

LISA SAN FILIPPO, AIA

Secretary

STEPHEN ROONEY, AIA

Treasurer

YOGESH MISTRY, AIA

Past President

Trustees

Trustee 2012

JUDY DONNELLY, AIA

Trustees 2013

CHRISTY DIBARTOLO, AIA

ALEX GOTTHELF,AIA

ELLEN HARMON,

ALLIED MEMBER

NATASHA SUZANSKY, AIA

Trustees 2014

PAUL TIAJOLOFF, AIA

RONALD WESTON, AIA

JASON PEIST, ASSOC. AIA

Honorary Affiliate

DAN BISCHOFF

Section Administrator

JULIE PAGNOTTA

[email protected]

AIA NS 2012 Committees

Professional Practice Notes - When Less is More

Rostrum 2012 Issue 4

Page 3

Please join us for an exciting

panel discussion at Diversity Day on April 11th at NJIT.

Women- Opportunity to

meet Carol JW Kurth, FAIA, a 2011 Diversity honoree

and learn how she encouraged young women

through her teaching,

mentoring and practice. Also meet Nancy Goshow,

AIA who chairs the Women in Architecture program in

NYC.

Minorities- Opportunity to meet, network & join with

local minority organizations. Learn how being part of

their organization will support your career goals.

Principals- In order for our industry to grow we need to

fos te r D ive rs i ty and

I n c l u s i o n . O u r demographics are quickly

changing and without an effort towards diversity we

will face a talent shortage. Come learn how others are

embracing diversity for advancing business goals.

Invited Guests:

Joyce Raspa, AIA, Esq- AIA National Regional Diversity

Chair

Carol J.W. Kurth, FAIA, LEED

AP- Fostering Diversity through Teaching, Mentoring

and Practice- 2011 AIA Diversity Honoree

William Brown III, AIA- ( N O M A ) N a t i o n a l

Organization of Minority Architects, President

Nayan Parikh- (SIAEA) Society of Indo American

Engineers & Architects,

President

Nancy Goshow, AIA LEED AP

BD +C- Chair of Women in Architecture, NYC

Manuel J. Pereiras- Society o f C ub an A me r i c a n

Architects and Engineers, Vice President

Vicky Tran- NJIT- AIAS President

Jane Gaertner- NJIT- Career Services

Sherry Snipes, AIA- AIA National- Director Diversity

and Inclusion.

Who: Open to all

A IA membe rs , the i r employees & all Students

Where: New Jersey Institute of Technology,

School of Architecture Building- Gallery Loft Space

When: April 11, 2012, 6:00pm

Credits: (1) LU .

Please encourage your

Human Resource personnel to attend. RSVP to Lori Lee

at [email protected] by April 4th.

Diversity Strategies and Leveraging an Untapped Market

Rostrum 2012 Issue 4

Page 4

AIA Newark & Suburban

Links

Calendar

Follow us on :

DONATE-

NJAPAC

USGBC-NJ Residential Green Building Committee Building Science Workshop II: Residential Indoor Air Quality

9:30 – 10:30 am TIGHT CONSTRUCTION AND

VENTILATION: With the current thinking being "build

tight, ventilate right", what

are the standards and codes applicable in NJ? What are

the best practices for ventilation and filtration for a

whole house system? What are the methods for dealing

with renovations/addition where parts of the house will

be tighter than others?

11:00 – 12:00 pm

CONSTRUCTION AND FINISH MATERIALS:

What are the toxins that are present in common building

materials and interior finishes and what alternates

are available? What are

product standards for green building that should be

consulted in selecting materials and finishes? What

client education needs to be a d d re s s e d r e g a r d i ng

cleaning products, pesticides and other household

maintenance issues?

V i s i t h t t p : / /www.usgbcnj.org/events for

additional information and registration.

additions, and remodels. A team of industry experts will

guide you through the “whole building” design

process, explain the issues

and science of residential indoor air quality issues from

what causes indoor air p rob lems, i den t i f y i ng

sources of pollutants, addressing specific controls

for pollutants, and improving the air quality in your home.

SCHEDULE: 7:30 – 8:00 am Registration,

Breakfast and Check-in

8:00 – 9:00 am INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND

POLLUTION SOURCES: Pollution sources that

release gases or particles

into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality

problems in homes. How do we identify air quality

problems and measure pollutants? What are the

major indoor air pollutants? How do we inspect,

remediate and implement

measures to avoid future problems.

DATE: May 4, 2012 TIME: 7:30 am – Noon

WHERE: The Moses Family Meeting and Training

Center

Bergen Community College 400 Paramus Road

Paramus, NJ

SEMINAR COST: $25.00 per person for USGBC

member; $35.00 per person for non-USGBC

attendees

AUDIENCE: Residential

Construction Professionals, Consultants and Engineers,

C o n t r a c t o r s a n d Subcontractors, LEED AP’s,

Architects and Design Professionals

WHY: Earn up to 3 AIA and GBCI continuing education

credits, pending approval

OBJECTIVE: This workshop is structured for residential

design and construction professionals involved in

identifying key green

decisions throughout the design and construction

process for new homes,

If you are interested in

participating, please e-mail your intention to Steven

Safary [email protected] so we would have an idea of

the number of people to exhibit. Particulars and date

of submission are also available through Steven.

Rostrum 2012 Issue 4

Page 5

Architectural renderings

done by the architect in any of the forms

mentioned above. (do

not submit works by hired renderers, it has

to be your own)

Sculptures

Photographs

Do not submit computer

generated art; this is

strictly handmade fine

art.

There is a chance to sell your artwork if you wish.

The Art Center takes a 30% cut from the sale price.

Using these skills, many of us create fine arts work for

our own pleasure. Assuming that this is true, we are sure

that you have stored away

these treasures, and here is the opportunity to dig them

up and submit them and participate in this Exhibition.

The exhibition is interested in the following forms:

Watercolor paintings

Oil paintings

Charcoal or pencil

drawings

Acrylic paintings

A I A N E W A R K A N D

SUBURBAN ARCHITECTS would like to invite each and

every member of our

organization to participate in this exhibit, scheduled for

the last week of November 2012.

It is going to be a juried

exhibition.

We assume that in your

practice you have to communicate your design

ideas to your clients by

using some form of media , utilizing skills learned in your

architectural education.

Invitation to Juried Exhibition at Clifton Arts Center

Rostrum 2012 Issue 4

Page 6 EXPERIENCING GRASSROOTS! meeting. If nothing else, the upper leadership of AIA

knows that AIANJ has a voice and will be using it

once aga in a t the

Convention in May.

Along with Ashley Clark,

Associate AIA, (from North Carolina), I had the

opportunity to participate in

a session that outlined what our advocacy approach

should be when meeting with members of Congress

or their staff. All of AIANJ delegates did go to Capitol

Hill and present our issues to members of Congress on

Thursday.

There were fantast ic keynote speakers this year,

which included Dr. Richard Joseph Jackson, MD, MPH,

FAAP, and the very engaging

“Fly Girl” Vernice Armour. Advocacy and Luncheon

Speakers included Thaddeus L. Cohen, AIA, Hon. Bob

Buckhorn, Polly Trottenberg, and Hon. Francisco J.

Sanchez.

For those of you who were not able to attend this

leadership event, I would strongly suggest that you

start thinking about next year’s conference. I would

like to see a larger

contingent of Section representatives and even

some more of our Emerging Professionals partake in the

various leadership classes and Peer Breakfasts with our

colleagues from around the country. So, put March 20-

23, 2013 on your calendar

for next year’s AIA Grassroots Leadership and

Legislative Conference and plan to get excited about

being an architect and supporting OUR profession.

Jerome Leslie Eben, AIA,

AIANJ Regional Director 2011-13

I believe those who were

present will agree with me that under Mickey Jacob, FAIA, as

Chairman, 1st VP and President-Elect of the Institute, this latest

Grassroots was extremely successful with nearly 800

colleagues in attendance. M i c k e y ’ s t h e m e w a s

LEADERSHIP, ADVOCACY, and

COMMUNICATION, with the goal for growing public awareness of

architecture and how we live in partnership with our neighbors,

so we can make a greater impact on the quality of life in

our communities, the built e n v i r o n m e n t , a n d t h e

sustainable l ifestyle that

everyone deserves!

I am extremely proud of Justin

Mihalik, AIA, Joyce Scatuccio, Associate AIA and Jayson Peats,

Associate AIA for speaking up

during the limited time we had at the open forum part of the

Nearly thirty (30) of your AIANJ leaders have just

recently returned from the 2012 AIA Grassroots

Leadership Conference in

Washington, DC. Every year, and this was my 22nd time,

I return from this event recharged, ready to serve

o u r S e c t i o n s , t h e Chapter/Region, and of

course, the Institute.

Jeff Potter, FAIA as Institute President, stated in his

remarks, “that we are the c r e d i b l e v o i c e a n d

authoritive source of the profession.” The more of us

that so state this back in

New Jersey, the more success we will have. OUR

members enjoy the benefits of the value they receive

through knowledge, which begins every year with

Grassroots.

Rostrum 2012 Issue 4

Page 7

Louis Edward Barbieri, 62, passed away on

March 21, 2012. He was born in Jersey City on June 17, 1949 and has lived in Denville since

1977.

Louis graduated from the University of Notre

Dame in 1973 and has practiced Architecture

and Planning ever since. He started his own Architecture firm in 1984.

Louis has served his community and profession for many years and in many ways. He was a

member of Big Brothers and their Board for

many years, a 20-year member of Mensa of Northern New Jersey, Past President of AIA of

The Newark-Suburban Chapter, and a Board Member of AIA New Jersey. He is a Past

President of the Denville Chamber of Commerce

In Memoriam - Louis Edward Barbieri, AIA

as well as a 23-year member of their Board

of Directors. He was very proud of his 25 years of service to the Denville Rotary Club,

as Past President and 5- time Paul Harris Award recipient, as well as his designing of

the Rotary Clock Tower Park in downtown Denville.

He is survived by his wife Susan, his

daughters Rebecca Campbell of Hoboken, NJ and Elizabeth Panageotou and her husband

Michael of Ellicott City, MD; granddaughters Sophia and Maia Panageotou of Ellicott City,

MD. He is also survived by his sisters Donna Cochran of Wesley Chapel, NC and Joanne

Montgomery of Little Silver, NJ; his nieces

and nephews, and his best friend John Caldwell.