HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR AIAS!!!

2011 wrapped up an exciting year for AIAS LTU. From the changes made by the new Eboard to the informative and enlightening trips to Grassroots and Quad, AIAS LTU embarked on a new journey in 2012: one to change perceptions and evolve with the times of this profession.

This year, AIAS LTU will be hosting the Midwest Quad Conference in Detroit from March 30^th, 2012 to April 1^st, 2012. The theme is Evolve: Mass Production to Individual Expression. This theme reflects the changes developing in the last few years within the Motor City. Students and professionals alike can experience a fresh perspective of the city with workshops, firm tours and the Beaux Arts Ball.

AIAS LTU will also be hosting the annual Freedom Auction. This auction helps to promote and raise funds for the Freedom by Design program, which helps handicapped individuals with accessibility around their home. The Freedom Auction has items donated from numerous individuals as well as firms from the Detroit area.

With all these events going on this year, AIAS will also help hand down the reigns with their election process for new Eboard members. Information can be found on the website. Help make AIAS a great place to enhance your resume, knowledge and education of the profession by becoming a member today!!

2011 Grassroots Conference: The start to Leadership and Success

The LTU AIAS chapter has prided itself on the progressive momentum it has made in the past few years but nothing has given the chapter quite a boost like winning the Midwest Quad Conference Bid for the spring of 2012 at the AIAS National Grassroots Leadership Conference in Washington D.C this July.

Each year, regional conferences take place in the fall and spring in the Midwest, Northeast, South, and West Quads. These gatherings, known as Quad Conferences, are hosted by local chapters who have been selected to organize the event by their Quad. Themes vary based on the city, local culture, and architectural topic of choice. This year, LTU AIAS came together and decided to put a bid in for the Midwest Quad Conference. Students worked quickly to research and gather information about all possible spaces and events within Detroit. Quad conferences usually include key note speakers, firm crawls and a variety of workshops among many others. 

Urban Priorities Committee (UPC) Symposium: Transportation

The Urban Priorities Committee (UPC), affiliated with AIA Detroit, is a group of volunteer architects seeking to bring awareness to the design community and promote its involvement in the planning and design of our city and region.  To fulfill these goals, the committee members, supporters of the committee and other urban enthusiasts are working together to organize symposiums, exhibits and various programs related to urban design.  Currently, they are hosting the Detroit By Design Summer Symposium in conjunction with the AIA National.  Through interaction with local community stakeholders, city officials, creation of seminars and other educational events, the AIA-UPC is available to assist the city of Detroit in the historic process of planning and altering the city to achieve a sustainable community design.  For more information or to join the UPC committee and volunteer for events, visit www.aiadetroit.com.

AIA Detroit’s Detroit by Design Summer Symposium kicked into full gear with its first component - Transportation - on April 13th at the Detroit Public Library.  Using a combination of local and national panelists, the symposium exhibited international design proposals followed by a series of in-depth discussions.  Moderated by the City of Detroit’s Planning and Development Department Deputy Director Marja Winters, the symposium allowed planners and designers the unique opportunity to showcase the role of urban planning in conjunction with a massive and contemporary city-wide planning effort.  Presentations by select members helped promote various design strategies to the community, while highlighting ongoing planning initiatives for both the city and surrounding metro area.  In doing so, the UPC explored the line between a practical and theoretical design world, suggesting possibilities for the next iteration of Detroit. 

As the first of a three-part summer long deliberation, the Transportation Symposium sought to expand off ongoing endeavors within the city.  A variety of transit options were discussed for the growing number of frustrated residents, many of whom are becoming more concerned with longer commutes and soaring gas prices.  The dialogue centered on the importance of mass transit to regional cohesion, the logistics of successful implementation and Detroit's role in creating a more 'personal connection' for its citizens.  In a region dominated by an expensive, rapidly aging automotive infrastructure, comparisons were made on how the diversity of mobility can equate to lower costs and regional accomplishments.  Portland’s initial struggle to create two light rail lines from downtown during the mid-1980s has now led to several communities battling for the next available line.  However, it was revealed that considerable time, many major connection points, and supportive density for such a system were needed for the contemporary project to be considered “successful”.  Comparisons between existing urban centers and the Detroit Metro Airport were discussed in a similar vein as was the ease of traveling across the city by bicycle.  These, along with other issues, highlighted the range of scales required by citizens to navigate their urban terrain. 

Personally, I was blown away by the creativeness and down to earth nature of the discussion.  Many of these planners and designers have spent decades involved with their local communities, overcoming numerous logistical concerns necessary for massive regional connections.  They did so by offering practical, yet imaginative solutions.  Connection of regional airports to big box retail centers, suggesting city council members use bus services to increase reliability, and other design facets set curious tones for participant exploration.  Coinciding with the discussions were design proposals on display in the main gallery featuring an incredible array of graphics and community mechanics.  While local and national firms were well represented, student projects took the lead in showcasing the potential of regional planning opportunities.  SOM, Perkins and Will, Hamilton Anderson, and McIntosh Poris Associates, as well as several graduate architecture and planning students from around the country submitted design ideas, ranging from simple building typologies to massive multi-nodal transportation hubs.  Some displayed great sensitivity to local concerns, whereas others proposed massive re-imagining of abandoned facilities repurposed for new uses.  Several of the larger architecture firms displayed renderings of past work in other top-tier cities, presenting possible directions Detroit could explore.  A unique approach would have been to show how such international projects could have looked in a specific location within the city, or how new transit hubs could affect the future urban pattern.  Most, however, focused on to exotic locations or select American Megalopolis’, leaving the next symposium to potentially answer such intriguing questions.  Overall though, the proposals demonstrated creative approaches to existing conditions within the city. 

In the first decade of the new millennium, Detroit has become a hot bed of ideas, creativity and experimentation.  As the region attempts to contend with population mobility, increased technology, and shifts in living choices, it seeks both vision and leadership in an ongoing cycle of change.  As such, the AIA Detroit: Urban Priorities Committee, in collaboration with AIA National and the ‘Detroit Works Project’, has launched an amazing first submission.  I for one cannot wait to be part of the further symposiums in May and June!

-Mark Weisgerber 

AIAS E-board: A President's Fairwell

Moulee Patel, our AIAS-LTU past president, has recently graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Architecture and has some parting words and also a message for the new Executive Board for the coming year. 

I stumbled into AIAS three years ago with the help of then vice-president Jonathon Cebelak. At the time, I didn’t know much about the organization. I paid my dues and right off the bat registered for my first conference: Midwest Spring Quad in Indianapolis, Indiana. During my weekend there, I was thrust into the AIAS experience: positions, leadership, event planning, etc. The following year, I ended up serving on the Executive Board as Treasurer. It all happened so fast that I didn’t have time to think about what I was doing or, more importantly, thank Jonathon for helping me make all of these decisions!

My time in AIAS started of merely as a resume builder but throughout the journey, became so much more. I grew into my position as Treasurer but found how much more I could take part in on a local and national level. I had Jonathon’s endless enthusiasm to expand our chapter rub off on me, especially when I attended Forum in Minneapolis which, needless to say, was an incredible feeling. Hundreds of architecture and design students from around the country gathering together to talk about issues facing architecture and the profession all while taking part in tours and seminars is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.  Forum was my “ah ha!” moment because that is when I found out what AIAS truly meant.

I understood how much AIAS has to offer and also what I can do for the organization as well. After my return from Forum, I knew I wanted to run for President for the following year, despite my fear. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I also knew I had to jump right in if I wanted to make a difference. So I ran for President and started my term in the summer of 2010. Jonathon, along with Bryce Gamper, Kevin Brown, Jacob Boyd and Ryan Tucker joined me on the Executive Board for the 2010-11 academic year.  Being the only girl on the Executive Board was interesting but I could not have asked for a better group of leaders. We embarked on a journey and experimented with many new things to improve our chapter: workshops, fundraisers, trips, retreats, bake sales, food carts – you name it!! I am so glad we did each and every one of them even if some didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to.

Looking back, it looked like a pretty good year, but what is more exciting is that next year is going to be 10 times better!  Our new Executive Board is on their retreat right now, planning for the fall and making changes to better our chapter. They have so many fantastic ideas, excitement, dedication and spunk (and let me just say that we were pretty awesome).  I know that the new Board is ready to take AIAS-LTU to bigger and better places. 

I can’t thank the E-board and ALL of our members enough for such a great year.  My journey with the AIAS has been filled with so many valuable memories and I encourage everyone to join and serve on the executive board.  You will never know until you take the chance!


We are going to miss you so much Moulee!! Good luck on all of your future endeavors!!

AIAS Blog: OFFICIAL LAUNCH!

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is an organization which promotes collegiate architecture studies, industry professionals and architecture itself. At Lawrence Tech, this organization has grown tremendously over the last few years both in leadership and sustainability. This blog serves to update the College of Architecture and Design on events, conferences and meetings the AIAS holds. Thus far, the blog has reported upon the AIAS new Executive board retreat, Freedom by Design project updates as well as a Quad Conference wrap-up. Students can access the blog easily on the AIAS Facebook page. 


LTU AIAS would not be possible without the assistance from the College of Architecture and Design. Their generous donations, time and help, along with all the members and Executive Board, have helped bring this organization to the place it is today. Thank you and always look for updates on the page!

Freedom by Design: Project Completion and Community Outreach

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is a campus organization which promotes collegiate architecture studies, industry professionals, and architecture itself. The AIAS boasts 100-plus chapters spanning across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Affiliated with AIAS is Freedom by Design, a purposeful community service and outreach program that allows architecture students to gain real world experience through design and construction solutions. Thousands of people are confined in their homes with no way to access stairs, bathrooms or even their front yards. Freedom by Design serves to correct these shortcomings by providing ramps, grab bars and other means by which residents may access parts of their own home and not feel trapped.

Recently, Lawrence Tech’s AIAS Freedom by Design chapter completed a design-build project in Southfield for a non-profit organization called Rebuilding Together Oakland County (RTOC). Kerry Comerford, the City of Southfield’s building inspector, contacted the chapter about a project for the Jordan family, who needed storage space on their property. The chapter had to come together to assess the site, design the storage space, prepare a set of construction documents, and get a building permit in a matter of only a couple of weeks.

After being approved for a building permit and receiving a substantial concrete donation from Superior Materials, LLC of Farmington Hills, the Lawrence Tech students came together to dig trench footings, construct forms and pour footings and the slab. Following the concrete work, the Detroit Carpentry Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee, located in Ferndale, constructed the shed in parts in-house, which was ready to be installed on site. Carpenters under the lead of Bob Makowski of Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters installed the shed on site.

With the help of Freedom by Design members and student project managers Dave Andrus, Jake Boyd and Eliza Morales, designers Patrick Borden, Kevin Brown, Shaun Carollo, Samantha Doherty, Jason Flint, Susan Karczag, Meaghan Markiewicz, Ryan Maynard, Michael Neal, Ellen Rotter, Jeff Sebring, Ryan Tucker and Interim Architecture Department Chair Dan Faoro, the shed construction went off without a hitch.

In addition to designing the shed, the project awaits more publicity from City Cable Channel 15 of Southfield, which filmed the construction process and interviewed Lawrence Tech students. Stephanie Givens of Publicity Works submitted project information to CAM magazine to be published in the July issue. This project gave insight to students on the complexities of the construction process, including project management and time and budget management. 

Spring 2011 Midwest Quad Conference: Exploring the Art in Architecture

AIAS serves to educate students on the current and prevalent issues within architecture. Every year, students from each region (Midwest, South, West and Northeast) come together for two conferences, one in the spring and one in the fall, to discuss these issues as well as. This year, fifteen LTU-AIAS students attended the Midwest Spring Quad Conference which was hosted by Southern Illinois University located in Carbondale, IL. The theme of this conference was “No Boundaries, No Limits – Exploring the Art in Architecture”. Architecture is one of the many various examples of art. Within architecture itself, students will often time draw inspiration for projects from sources such as sculptures, photography and even digital fabrication.

With visual identity as the focus for this particular conference, students got to participate in workshops directly related to art history and visual communication. Examples of workshops included art in interiors, diagramming, creativity processes, sculpture, origami and a glass blowing demonstration. Also included for the conference were two keynote speakers including Jan Willem van Kuilenburg from Monolab Architects and Jill Downen, who focuses her work on the human body and architecture.  

LTU students took in the wonderful opportunity to explore the complexities of art and creativity within architecture. President Moulee Patel described the sculpture workshop as inspirational, citing the intensive way people entwined themselves by writing poems as descriptions for various pieces. Freedom by Design Chair Jake Boyd attended the lecture given by Lee Waldrep, author of “Becoming an Architect”, in which Waldrep explored non-traditional routes students may take with an architecture degree in hand.

LTU AIAS students truly explored the meaning of art in architecture. With workshops, firm crawls and speakers combined, LTU AIAS has come back with inspirational ideas and concepts, ready to get more projects going!