Page 7 - ArchDC_Winter 2019

THE RULES OF THE GAME ARE CHANGING CONTRIBUTORS

Bradley W. Johnson pop….thwok! Steven K. Dickens, AIA, LEED AP
pop….thwok!
(“AZ in DC” and “Interior Motives”),
pop...thwok!
is senior associate with Eric Colbert
THUD!
& Associates.
That’s a partial transcript of my first squash lesson at Squash on Louis Duva (“Going Deep”) serves
Fire—the thud was me running into the wall. as the communications coordinator
Frequent readers of ARCHITECTUREDC will recall the building at AIA|DC.
that houses Squash on Fire, by TEN Arquitectos with WDG
Architecture, which was profiled in—and featured on the cover of— Denise Liebowitz (“A Key to History”),
our Fall 2018 issue. I accompanied the writer of that article (my husband) when he visited formerly with the National Capital
the building to see it first hand, and during the visit, I expressed an interest in learning
to play. A gift certificate for an initial lesson appeared under the tree at Christmas, and Planning Commission, is a frequent
I recently cashed it in. Following that lesson, I’ve got a few aches in places where I didn’t contributor to ARCHITECTUREDC.
know I had muscles—but I think I’m hooked on the game, and I’m looking forward to Deane Madsen, Assoc. AIA (“(Re)
WELCOME dedicated to Art”), is a writer and
future visits.
architectural photographer based in
Washington, DC, and founder of the
informal architectural appreciation

Squash on Fire isn’t the only place we have returned to after first learning about society Brutalist DC.
it in the course of preparing the magazine. The Mt. Pleasant restaurant Beau Thai G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA
(Foundry Architects), which appeared in the Fall 2014 issue in an article authored by (“Room(s) to Think”), is an independent
Denise Liebowitz—who we are pleased to report has resumed writing for us, starting curator and writer. He is the editor
with this issue!—has become a favorite place of ours for weekend lunches. And the of ARCHITECTUREDC.
nearby Mt. Pleasant Library (CORE architecture + design), which was featured in the
Winter 2013 issue, is a frequent stop for us, as well. It’s great to go back and remind Ronald O’Rourke (“Parking/Space”
ourselves why the places we have featured were worth all the attention. and “Rooftop Renaissance”) is a regular
AIA|DC, like some other AIA chapters around the country, has recently done contributor to ARCHITECTUREDC. His
something similar with our design award program: We revisited the criteria for those father, Jack O’Rourke, was an architect
awards, to make sure they’re keeping up with the demands of our changing world, in San Francisco for more than
and we asked ourselves some questions. For example, if a building is aesthetically four decades.
pleasing—in other words, if it just plain looks good—is that really enough? To be
considered worthy of awards, shouldn’t projects also be resilient, promote health, and
improve the community?
A few weeks ago, AIA|DC’s board voted unanimously to adopt the following ten
measures that will be considered by all our award juries beginning in 2020:
1. How well is sustainability integrated into the design?
2. How will the community benefit from the project?
3. How were natural ecosystems considered?
4. How was water conservation considered?
5. Was the project cost-effective?
6. Does the project conserve energy?
7. Does the project promote wellness?
8. Are resources optimized within the project?
9. Is the project resilient and adaptable?
10. What lessons were learned from this project’s design and how were they shared?
That’s a lot of consider, but if AIA is to remain relevant in a time of climate crisis, as
young Greta Thunberg reminds us, and if architects are to fulfill their potential for
being powerful engines for solving difficult societal challenges, our best work needs to
be more than just beautiful—it needs to be world-changing. The addition of these new
award criteria is one way to put AIA on that path.
As always, we love hearing from you, so please send your comments and let us
know how we are doing.

Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA
Publisher
mfitch@aiadc.com
@marycfitch WELCOME 5