A new Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) Member Forum has been set up to facilitate both public and private and confidential discussion between architects and also members of the public. The member forum runs on the phpBB3 forum system, now the most widely used forum and bulletin board online community system worldwide.

The forum has been mainly facilitated as part of the TTIA’s communication initiative to provide suitable media that can assist the Institute and its members reach relatively swift agreement and conclusion on matters of serious concern to the Institute and that can be made confidential (closed discussions) at any time and according to permissions set up by the moderators.

The system should be made accessible and will be open for registration of members and invited parties on Monday 2nd November 2009. TTIA members and invited persons will be able to set up their own user accounts and passwords.

To know more about phpBB, please visit the website at: http://www.phpbb.com/about/

In an official address to the Members and Friends of the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI), TTTI Chairman Victor Hart has issued this important message:

Dear Members and Friends of TTTI

The Sunday Guardian carried a headline to an article which quoted me on the current Commission of Enquiry impasse which read:
‘Hart, Warner slam Government’. For those of you who may have been disturbed by the headline, please see the full text of what I said:

‘The Enquiry has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. What promised to be the most professional and transparent enquiry ever held in the country has degenerated into a farce. It has cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars and damaged our reputation by confirming how Third World we are.

I find it passing strange that, whereas Thursday’s Cabinet Meeting directed the Line Ministers to have TSTT and PTSC withdraw petitions before the Industrial Court to have the CWU and TIWU de-certified, Cabinet did not direct UDeCOTT’s Line Minister to instruct UDeCOTT to withdraw its legal challenges to the Enquiry, despite calls by many persons to do so. The message is clear: ‘ Different strokes for different folks’.

The implications for the country of Justice Dean-Armorer’s decision are very serious. We must now wait several more months for the Commissioners’ expected recommendations on the reform of Public Sector Procurement while billions of dollars continue to be spent on mega-projects that are experiencing time and cost overruns without the checks and balances that minimize corruption. We must also wait for their recommendations on the reform of the construction sector.

Persons in Public Life against whom serious allegations were made at the Enquiry, some of which the Commissioners might recommend for further investigation, will continue in their posts and have delayed the opportunity to clear their name or to be held accountable for their actions.

The losers will be the people of Trinidad and Tobago who may never know the truth of the charges and counter-charges made at the Enquiry after spending so much money on the Enquiry and the related Court cases. The message to persons at both ends of the social ladder will be clear: ‘ You can do what you want because no one is ever held accountable in T&T’.

Civil Society should take note and send back its own message:’ Enough is enough’.

(End)

Regards,
Victor Hart
TTTI Chairman.

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday 29th October 2009

The official website of the Board of Architecture of Trinidad and Tobago (BoATT) has been unofficially launched as of Wednesday 28th October 2009.

The Board of Architecture of Trinidad and Tobago is a body corporate established under Section 3 of Act No 19 of 1992, cited as the Architecture Profession Act, 1992. The Architecture Profession Act No. 19 of 1992 is an Act representing the registration of Architects in Trinidad and Tobago and otherwise regulating the practice of Architecture.

Main Objectives – Protection of Title and Licensing of Architects

In keeping with the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects’ (TTIA) Corporate Plan over several years (see ‘Lobby’, Objective (iii) ) and in consideration of the International Union of Architects (UIA) Accord on Registration, Licensing and Certification, the BoATT is presently working on the improvement of the Architecture Profession Act No. 19 of 1992 of Trinidad and Tobago. The main objectives of BoATT is the protection of the use of the title of ‘architect’ and also the implementation of the licensing of architects in Trinidad and Tobago.

Registration of (Qualified) Architects in Trinidad and Tobago

The Register of Registered Architects is gazetted each year and is a compilation of all persons registered and therefore qualified to practice architecture in Trinidad and Tobago. The Register is also published in the TTIA Architects’ Diary, which goes on sale each year from October/November for diaries of the following year.

Visit BoATT’s website to get updates on the Register of Registered Architects here.

Establishment of Board
(Section 3 – (1) and (2) of The Architecture Profession Act of 1992)

3.
(1)   There is established a Board of Architecture that is a body corporate.

(2)   The Board shall be appointed by the Minister and shall consist of.-

(a) four registered architects nominated by and holding membership in the Institute of Architects of Trinidad and Tobago;

(b) a public officer who is registered or is eligible to be registered as a registered architect;

(c) two persons appointed to represent the public interest.

Chairman of the Board
(Section 3 (3) of The Architecture Profession Act of 1992)

(3) A Chairman shall be appointed by the Board from among its members.

Chairman of the Board June 2007 to June 2010:

Arch. Joseph Yearwood – MTTIA, BoATT Registered Architect -

Contact email: chair@boa-tt.org

Registrar/Secretary
(Section 10 of The Architecture Profession Act of 1992)

10.

(1) The Board shall appoint a registered architect Registrar/Secretary to perform the functions of Registrar/Secretary.

Registrar/Secretary June 2007 to June 2010:

Arch. Cheryl Alleyne-Adams – MTTIA, BoATT Registered Architect -

Contact email: sregistrar@boa-tt.org

Contact the BoATT:

In what seems to be an unprecedented move in the UK , the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has, as of the 23rd October, informed its architects that is has removed the percentage fee graph from the Client’s Guide.

The RIBA wrote to its members to offer up an explanation why it has removed the percentage fee graph from the 2010 version of the Client’s Guide to Engaging an Architect which will take effect on November 2nd 2009 with the issue of the new guide. The guide will supposedly still contain “concise written advice” about how practices calculate fees and structure payment options, including resource-based methods.

The RIBA issued compulsory fee scales until 1982 when they were re-branded “recommended scales” in response to changes in competition law. These in turn were scrapped in 1992 and replaced by the graphs.

But the institute now believes even these are outdated and unworkable and could damage practices.

Jane Duncan, RIBA vice president of practice, acknowledged it would be a controversial decision but said the graph in the 2009 version of the Client’s Guide showed fee percentages lower than 1971.

In a letter to members she wrote:

Dear member

You may have heard that Practice Committee has been successful in its recommendation to have the fee survey graph removed from the RIBA Client’s Guide to Engaging an Architect. I realise that this issue has been controversial in the past and wanted to take some time to air the issues in advance of the publication of the new guide on 2nd November.

Since the mandatory fee scale was removed, architects and their clients – often but not exclusively at the lower end of the survey scale – felt it appropriate to rely upon or negotiate on the basis of published generic fee scales to determine what fees should apply to projects, without working out the real costs and proper fee for a particular job. The 1996 ‘indicative fee scales’ that I recently unearthed in my filing drawer was used by many offices as an easy guide to fee charging without recourse to the type of client, the level of complexity of the project, the stages of work or the output required. This was certainly a quick and easy route to setting out a fee proposal.

Today the process is far more complex and varied, and yet graphs and charts have continued to be included, culminating in the 2009 version of the Client’s Guide with its simplistic graph showing fee percentages lower than 1971!

One has only to look at the Schedule of Architect’s Services in any RIBA form of Appointment to see that a line on a graph just can no longer be used for fee calculations – it will be fair to neither architect nor client. Indeed the recent graph showed fees which if applied to a full services project would have left most architects seriously out of pocket. I fail to see how any practice could resource a £250k mid range project for less than 7% or £17,500.00 unless their hourly charge out rate is about £30.00.

How many clients actually like to employ an architect on a percentage basis anyway? I have heard too many times to mention, how it must encourage architects to design more expensive buildings as the fess will then rise proportionately.

These days I find that percentages have gone out of the window in favour of reviewing the specific content of a project, and agreement is easily reached for either hourly paid work or lump sums, re-visited at each stage of the project.

This year of course it’s been a very competitive market. Instead of just offering to slash fees to meet apparent competition, we have instead listed the specific services which we will carry out for the offered reduced fee, and then provided a list of those ‘extra’ services which the client may wish to procure later.

This has been quite a successful strategy, and is after all what builders have been doing forever to win tenders. Canny clients know this and prefer to pay sensible fees based upon a clear understanding of what they actually need from their architect at any stage in the programme. Can we educate our clients to see this?

Of course it means a completely different approach to the appointment contract with a lot of thought put into a fee bid and its presentation. We now need to rely upon our knowledge of our costs, and also sound out the competition. For the former we have had to grow up as a business, and keep very good job records, time sheets, and resource plans for every project.

For the latter we need as much information as we can get about what our competitors are doing. We have found that the RIBA business benchmarking process has been a great help both in making us review our own charging and strategy, and also being able to see what others are doing.

I have never been tempted to pay for a benchmarking service, but now there’s one offered free by the Chartered Practice scheme – and it’s really good. I recommend that you do it.  For further information, just send an email to benchmarking@inst.riba.org

If you have any pressing issues that I can assist with please let me know.
With kind regards

Jane Duncan RIBA – VP Practice

Comments from observers have included interesting viewpoint already tainted with some controversy:

Author: Nats 26 October, 2009

The RIBA needs to be doing more to get a standard fee level agreed between architectural practices in this country, this process shouldn’t involve clients at all. Until the government makes architectural involvement on all planning applications compulsory (as is the case in Spain) we will continue to lose work to cowboys and will never be paid what we deserve in comparison to other similar professionals. If it was possible to make a comparison between the importance and authority of different professionals considering their respective fees earned, architects would surely come out bottom of the pile. Mostly we are thought of as purely ‘day dreamers’ by the majority of people we work for and with, and until that changes we will always be paid badly.

Read more or search for further comments here at BD Online.

ACSAC Address

In an address to the Association of Commonwealth Societies of Architects in the Caribbean (ACSAC) on 9 October 2009 at Hotel Normandie, Port of Spain, Trinidad, the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) addressed transparency and accountability in the Trinidad & Tobago construction industry amidst rising tensions and concerns regarding the ongoing Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Industry.

The TTTI used the terms of reference of the Commission of Enquiry mandating the Commissioners to make recommendations to ensure that there be free and fair competition and full participation and access for all citizens in the public procurement process: Term 2 (iii); and, Integrity and transparency in the public procurement practice: Term 2 (iv). The Institute expressed that the ‘playing field’ for architects in T&T had been far from level in recent years and that this has appeared to have taken away much of the joy and satisfaction of working in the construction sector.

Further, the TTIA stated that the situation had also diverted the energy of participants from concentrating on delivering creative designs and projects that are completed within time and budget to wasting valuable time in worrying about bias and nepotism in the award of contracts, what deals are being struck behind closed doors, and in fighting for their collections of payments for services rendered when others appear to be receiving favoured treatment. More alarming, the government appears to be waging a battle against local consultants, including architects, and contractors while it promotes foreign firms and claims to be ‘bringing the construction sector into the twenty-first century’ without meaningful consultation with all stakeholders.

All of this seems to the TTTI to have changed how persons feel about working in the construction sector and might even be inhibiting young people from entering it. It referred to the rumors abounding in the industry that working on government of Trinidad and Tobago (GOTT) projects has now led to constant battle and the need to seek legal advice on routine matters with an ever present concern in protecting one’s back.

The TTTI also made reference to three submissions to the Commission of Enquiry. Firstly, the Institute underscored the need for procurement reform to ensure that public money was spent with transparency and accountability and that value was obtained. It recommended the early implementation of the White Paper on the Reform of the Public Sector Procurement Regime and it explained to the Commissioners the importance of transparency in procurement and how and where corruption occurs in the procurement process. It also made recommendations on anti-corruption strategies and tools that could be introduced into the local construction sector to promote transparency and accountability and thereby reduce corruption.

The TTTI also stressed to the Commissioners the importance of information disclosure and it requested a ‘Right to Know’ policy regarding public sector projects – whether they are wholly or partly publicly-owned, publicly financed or publicly guaranteed.

In making an indirect (no-name) reference to one of GOTT’s agencies having hidden information from the commissioners with the explanation that this move was to protect commercial confidentiality, the TTTI felt that the reasons given for confidentiality ought to be carefully examined because they may not always be valid.  It said that claims of necessary commercial confidentiality may (consciously or unconsciously) be a guise for concealing corrupt dealings. In any case, it felt that even if concerns about commercial confidentiality may be genuine, it was very important that they did not override the public’s right to know.

In closing, the TTI recommended three tools of strategy to the Commission of Enquiry – Transparency International’s Integrity Pact, the Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption Centre’s Project Anti- Corruption System (PACS) and the UK Anti-Corruption Forum (ACF). Also of particular interest are the papers – ‘Transparency in Public Sector Construction Projects’ and ‘Preventing Corruption – Guidance for Professional Bodies‘.

The TTTI concluded that, given the fact that the ethics of the architectural profession are enshrined in the Act governing the practice of Architecture, architects are well placed by that mandate and their training to be bulwarks against corruption in construction procurement. Proper training is essential because trained personnel are the best ‘tools’ to promote transparency and thereby reduce corruption in the construction sector. The training enables them to be alert to the dangers of corruption and to identify warning signs at an early stage. Therefore, in addition to architects, all project staff with responsibility for or involvement in project identification and design brief development, tendering, project management, claims evaluation, certification and/or payment should be trained to identify corruption and to be aware of the risks of corruption. Not only are these key persons a vital line of defense against corruption, they are themselves exposed and vulnerable to corrupt acts and should become adept at recognizing the danger signals so as to avoid entrapment and having to defend their reputations.

TTTI has offered some of the answers to the problems described and is willing to work with those interested in promoting transparency and accountability in the construction sector. It urged the architects, construction industry professionals and others to get involved with the work of the TTTI by either making a donation or becoming a member. Individual and corporate membership options are available.

Contact the TTTI
TTTI E-mail: admin@transparency.or.tt

TTTI website: www.transparency.org.tt

Download Documents

Read the address to the Commission of Enquiry.

ACSAC Address

Become a Member of the TTTI (Individual or Corporate)

http://www.transparency.org.tt/get-involved.htm

Visit Transparency International

www.transparency.org.

In an article published by the Trinidad Guardian on the 12th October 2009, the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) President Arch. Gary Turton called for “a slower and balanced approach” towards construction in the country.

Arch. Turton spoke at a seminar in the Architects Amphitheater to commemorate World Day of Architecture 2009 at the Building and Interiors Trade Show (BITS) at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya, Tunapuna, on Saturday. In his speech, Turton made it clear that the Uff Commission of Inquiry (into the Construction Industry) must be allowed to conclude its work.

See short transcript of article as follows:

Architects call for slower approach to construction

Trinidad Guardian – NADALEEN SINGH
Published: 12 Oct 2009

Architects are calling on the Government to adapt “a slower and balanced approach” towards construction in the country. The call was made by President of Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) Gary Turton. He was speaking at a seminar to commemorate World Day of Architects 2009 at the Building and Interiors Trade Show (BITS) at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya, Tunapuna, on Saturday. Turton said the TTIA and others in the industry had told the Government about its accelerated plan to construct buildings in T&T through the Joint Consultative Council.

…. “I believe the public needs to be completely satisfied that there’s been no wrongdoing by certain state agencies,” he said. “If there has been, the perpetrators should be penalised.

Read more..

BITS & SIREN 2009, Center of Execllence, Trinidad & Tobago, W. I.

BITS (Building & Interiors Trade Show) and SIREN (Health Safety Security and Environment – the HSSE Show) will begin on Thursday at 12.30 p.m. and run until 7.30 p.m. each day until Sunday at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya.

The “two shows under one roof” will feature an array of exhibition booths with the latest innovative products and services available for the Building and HSSE industries, along with a host of seminars and workshops which will be of tremendous interest to everyone.

Special attention will be paid to the three foreign architects sponsored by BITS and the Trinidad & Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) who will make presentations in the Architects Amphitheatre on Saturday afternoon.

The Johns Hopkins Hospital leads a large delegation of health-care professionals who will facilitate group meetings to discuss topics ranging from “Heart Failure” to “Preventing Diabetes” and “Abdominal Trauma”.

There will also be a host of similar presentations from highly-qualified individuals on Safety, Security and the Environment.  A few special surprises will be in store for general visitors to the one-hundred-plus exhibition booths as well, so BITS & SIREN 2009 is the place to be this Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons!

BITS & SIREN 2009 CALENDAR:

Thursday October 8th 2009 – 12:30PM to 7:30PM

Friday October 9th 2009 – 12:30PM to 7:30PM

Saturday October 10th 2009 – 12:30PM to 7:30PM

Sunday October 11th 2009 – 12:30PM to 7:30PM

ARCHITECTURE LECTURES BITS & SIREN 2009

Date and Time: Saturday October 10th 2009 – 4:00PM to 6:00PM

Location: Architects Amphitheater

Lecturers:

• Enrique Laranaga  (Venezuela)
• Marcos Barinas-Uribe (Dominican Republic)
• Andres Mignucci Giannoni – (Puerto Rico)

Based on an urgent meeting held with the Principals of firms of the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) held last week at the TTIA headquarters in Woodbrook regarding the current state of local construction industry, it was agreed that a critical information platform to share relevant and important information with the mass public is urgently needed.

To this end, the TTIA will be launching a campaign designed to communicate with the public of Trinidad and Tobago. The TTIA appreciates the support of all those able to contribute to its concerted efforts.

To learn more about us, please visit our website at: http://www.ttia-architects.org

The Trinidad & Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) invites you to the 2nd ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS LIME at the Corner Bar (corner of Ariapita Ave and Gatacre St, Woodbrook) Wednesday October 7 2009, 7pm – until, no cover charge.

The evening will feature a continuous slide show of a variety of images submitted by member architects that relate to Architecture and Design in Trinidad and Tobago.

Contributors to the inaugural event included students, graphic designers, furniture designers, interior designers, photographers, architects and architectural firms. It is a great opportunity to network with others in the architectural and design community.

TTIA Secretariat at 1.868.624.8842

There will be an ASCAC meeting on the 9th and 10th October at the Normandie Hotel in St Ann’s.  The meeting is being attended by Presidents and representatives of regional architectural associations and institutes including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Bahamas, St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Guyana.

A number of issues affecting architectural practice will be discussed including the following:

• professional practice – fees, conditions of engagement, registration
• caribbean single market economy – reciprocity, mutual recognition agreements
• institutional strengthening – single regional professional practice examination
• continuing professional development
• education – caribbean school of architecture, university of guyana
• acsac – organisation and management

If any TTIA members are interested in learning about, participating in or assisting in ACSAC activities or would simply like to observe and attend they are most welcome to.
Please contact ACSAC Chairman, Mark Raymond  <mark@markraymond.com> if you are interested.

Trinidad and Tobago – University of the West Indies

October 6th 2009

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, through the Continuing Engineering Education Centre (CEEC) will be hosting a workshop on the 19th and 20th November, 2009 from 8.30am – 4.30pm at the Faculty of Engineering, UWI, St. Augustine.

The focus of the workshop/training programme will be on the Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software for Architects – Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2010.

This is especially important now, given the international industry adoption of this technology and what this means for design productivity and quality enhancement, and project cost minimization.

The workshop/training programme is to be delivered by Mr. Ricardo Cedeno, who is a BIM and Revit® expert working with Autodesk® in Miami.

Should you have any questions/comments, please feel free to contact:

Kevin Awai,
Projects/Training Officer,
Engineering Institute,
Continuing Engineering Education Centre
Block 1,
Faculty of Engineering,

The University of the West Indies,

St. Augustine.

Trinidad and Tobago

Tel: (868) 662-6267, (868) 662-2002 ext. 2175

Fax: 662-6267, 662-4414

e-mail: ceec@eng.uwi.tt, enginst@eng.uwi.tt

website: http://www.eng.uwi.tt/depts/ei/

The cost of attending the seminar is not expected to exceed TT $2,800.00 (US $467.00) per person.

‘Early bird’ and/or ‘group’ discounts shall be made available upon registration.

The package includes all workshop materials, lunch, refreshments and a certificate of participation.

Please indicate the number of persons you are likely to send to the seminar. Feel free to contact us for further details

about the seminar and the distinguished presenter, Mr. Cedeno.

The NY Times picked up on a trend that’s been gaining momentum for a long time.  In “Some Buildings Not Living Up to Green Label,” Mireya Navarro discusses the “gap between design and construction, which LEED certifies, and how some buildings actually perform.”  Navarro’s not breaking any new ground here, especially for those ensconced in the green building world; however, like the ingredients of a hot dog, the general population needs to understand what LEED is made of.

Would you be shocked to learn that a LEED building may or may not be energy or water efficient?  Don’t be.

It all comes down to an understanding of what LEED is….

These strategies “aim at performance” but we’re not talking about actual performance.  A LEED building may actually perform, which means it may actually use water and energy efficiently, but such is not required for LEED certification.  We’re not mincing words here, either.  There’s a big difference between certification and actual performance.

You have to pay close attention, but it’s still hard to catch the difference.  For example, the description of LEED on the USGBC’s home page says LEED is a “voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.”  Wait, “high performance” and “sustainable?”  Doesn’t the word “performance” mean that a building actually performs?  Meaning it actually uses less water and energy?  And doesn’t sustainable mean to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs?

read more

Acoustics are a key element to the design of any building, especially public buildings such as auditoriums, halls, theaters, and more.

This free quick guide takes an in-depth look at the formulas and techniques you’ll need to use to ensure your buildings are meeting basic acoustical criteria. Learn more about the balance of highs and lows, even dispersion, clarity and more!

Click here to download!

Download this free cheat sheet now for 13 quick tips that can help improve your drawing skills. Covering everything from thumbnail drawing to cameras to overlay tracing, you’ll get all the shortcuts for methods, tools and technologies that you can take to improve your drawings and projects.

link

The AIA collects and disseminates Best Practices as a service to AIA members without endorsement or recommendation. Appropriate use of the information provided is the responsibility of the reader.

Warm-mix asphalt (WMA) is a group of technologies that allow a reduction in the temperatures at which asphalt mixes are produced and placed. These technologies tend to reduce the viscosity of the asphalt and provide for the complete coating of aggregates at lower temperatures. WMA is produced at temperatures lower than typical hot-mix asphalt (HMA).

This research evaluates various WMA technologies through the US Federal Highway Administration’s International Technology Scanning Program.

The US Federal Highway Administration provides high quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information.

FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

This report covers WMA practices in numerous European countries such as Belgium, France, Germany and Norway.

Download the Warm-Mix Asphalt European Practice Report here.

This guideline is issued by the Pavement Tools Consortium (PTC) – a partnership between several US state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the University of Washington to further develop and use computer-based pavement tools. The major focus of the pavement tools is the enhancement of pavement-related training and construction operations. The Consortium will be funded via a Pooled Fund arrangement and managed by the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Maryland State Highway Administration.

The problem with durability is that you may not know you need it until it’s not there. Fortunately, basic design practices can ensure that homes are built to last.

This free handbook, issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, covers the fundamental concepts of durability and presents recommended practices – including illustrated construction details and design data — for moisture management, ultraviolet (UV) protection, insects, decay, corrosion, and natural hazards.

To download this free handbook, click here.

Santa Fe architect Ed Mazria is this year’s winner of the Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainable Housing. Mazria is author of  The Passive Solar Energy Book and founder of the organisation Architecture 2030.

Along with other known personalities such as Dr. James Hansen of NASA, ARUP engineers and others, Mazria’s Architecture 2030 held its first world-wide emergency meeting of architects in 2007 for the Global Emergency Teach-in; an initiative the organisation considered to be its action on an alarming climate emergency.

The award is sponsored by The Hanley Foundation, EcoHome magazine and Hanley Wood LLC, a media and information company in Washington, D.C., that serves the housing and construction industries.

Mazria was selected from 18 nominees and will receive the award and a $50,000 grant at the U.S. Greenbuilding Council’s Hanley Award Dinner Nov. 12 during the USGBC international conference and expo in Phoenix.

Mazria has had a powerful impact on sustainable housing for more than 35 years, said Michael J. Hanley, president of The Hanley Foundation and creator of the Hanley Award.

Read more

It’s not the Hatfields and the McCoys, Yankees-Red Sox or even Palin-Letterman. Increasingly, though, emerging American architects are settling into two opposing camps. On one side are the digerati: the inventive, computer-savvy futurists creating on-screen worlds that may or may not succeed in built form. On the other are the communitarians: politically committed designers using their practices — sometimes at the expense of formal invention and aesthetic appeal — to repair torn neighborhoods, provide alternatives to sprawl or pare back manmade damage to the planet.

The seven firms featured in “Mix,” a lively if occasionally overstuffed show at the sublimely located La Jolla branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, fall decidedly into the second group. Led by architects mostly in their 40s, the firms operate in and around San Diego, particularly in its increasingly crowded downtown core and, separately, along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Read more

This free fact sheet issued by the Utah State University Cooperative Extension guides you on what you need to know before using Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) in your construction projects.

Learn about:

• The advantages of ICFs
• Concerns about building with ICFs
• Common systems
• Estimated costs

Download this free ICF fact sheet directly from the Utah State University, or click here to download from TTIA WordPress.

Serving as a cost-effective resource, this page from the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA covers frequently cited violations and the standards for which the US OSHA assessed the highest penalties in fiscal year 2008.

The page also links directly to the standards and regulations so that US Architects can minimize violations and fines in the coming year and that others can familiarize themselves with the issues. Amongst the most frequently cited standards with the highest penalties were fall protection, scaffolding, control of hazardous energy, electrical hazardous locations etc.

Click here to read more.

A green roof is a green space created by adding layers of growing medium and plants on top of a traditional roofing system.

Get comprehensive guidelines from the Ontario Association of Architects on designing green roofs in their free guide! The topics include the benefits of green roofs, design and implementation considerations, the regulatory approval process, cost estimates, and more.

To download this free design guide, click here now.

Tony Lloyd-Jones and Marion Roberts

The notion that it is possible to formulate a canon of urban design begs many questions, not least of which is deciding what in the vast literature should be left out. While the works that we have selected are perhaps the most well known and obvious, it should always be remembered that the authors’ ideas were formed within the context of a broader seam of literature which grows richer as time passes.

There are few general introductions to this wider body of work. David Gosling and Barry Maitland’s Concepts of Urban Design is widely regarded as the best. Well illustrated, erudite in a non- academic way and with a concise and socially-orientated perspective on the wide variety of urban design issues, this work has not been revised since it was published in 1984 and is now sadly out of print. Geoffrey Broadbent’s Emerging Concepts in Urban Space and Design is more current and approaches the topic in a systematic way, drawing on a clear philosophical framework. Far less visually effective than Gosling and Maitland, it nevertheless serves as a useful introductory catalogue of recent urban design theories. Finally and most recently, The CityReader by Richard LeGates and Frederic Stout is an excellent and comprehensive collection of excerpts from many of the most significant writings on urbanism from the mid- nineteenth century to the present day. As a taster for several of the works mentioned here, as well as for a wide range of planning and developmental, political and cultural perspectives on the city, this is recommended reading.

One of the guiding assumptions of urban design literature is that cities are beneficial: indeed this is argued cogently and clearly in Harley Sherlock’s Cities are Good for Us and this book provides a fine initial text for those who wish to be convinced of the benefits of human beings living in close proximity to each other. Anti-urbanism is a theme which has run through twentieth century town planning but it was the impact of modernist town planning in the immediate post-war period which provided the impetus for some of the most influential and important urban design texts.

Read more

In the US, LEED certified architects are significantly in more demand than those who are not.

For those who work for clients in the US, the ability to create buildings that are LEED certified is becoming more desirable as tax credits increase. The U.S. Green Building Council has now issued a free guide so that those interested in LEED can learn more about how they can become certified. Issues addressed include the certification process, applications, fees and more.

To earn US LEED certification, a project must satisfy all prerequisites and earn a minimum number of points outlined in the LEED Rating System under which it is registered. For more information, click here.

The Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) is providing a three day anti-corruption training workshop which will be held in Amersham, England. Anti-Corruption Training Workshop: “Preventing Corruption in the Infrastructure Sector”.

The workshop will give participants a detailed understanding of what corruption is, how corruption takes place in the infrastructure sector, and how it can be prevented.  It will equip participants with the necessary knowledge and materials to undertake any or all of the following:

• Lead the implementation of an anti-corruption programme in their own organisation, or on a project which their organisation is developing.
• Lead or promote an anti-corruption strategy in their home country.
• Encourage government, funders and companies in their home country to adopt anti-corruption management systems.
• Provide anti-corruption training.

The workshop will be held on the following dates.  (This is the same workshop, but will be repeated on several occasions so as to give participants maximum choice of dates).

• Monday 16th/Tuesday 17th/Wednesday 18th November 2009
• Monday 1st/Tuesday 2nd/Wednesday 3rd March 2010
• Monday 10th/Tuesday 11th/Wednesday 12th May 2010.

The attached document provides details of the programme, workshop arrangements, cost and registration form – click to download the form: GIACC.TRAINING.PROGRAMME.AMERSHAM

Courtesy: Trinidad & Tobago Transparency Institute