2020 AIA COTE Top 10 Announced

Discussions about how to battle future pandemics through better buildings are becoming commonplace, and the goal of improved interior environments is one aspect that dovetails with sustainability issues championed by the AIA Committee on the Environment. Architects continue to raise the bar on performance, design and flexibility. This ongoing dedication to improving the built environment …

In Memoriam

Remembering the AIA South Dakota Members We Lost in 2019 Jeff Hazard, AIA (24 August 1955- 30 August 2019) Jeff attended Washington Senior High (Sioux Falls) before attending University of Kansas and University College, London. Graduating with a Bachelor of Environmental Design with highest distinction. He went on to study at the University of Illinois …

Notre Dame Cathedral competition announced

After the tragic fire at Notre Dame a couple weeks ago, attention quickly shifted to reconstruction- but the tricky question of the best way to rebuild may take a great while longer to reconcile. Straightforward preservation calls for reconstruction with matching materials when adequate documentation is available and sources for those materials still exist (both …

Happy Earth Day- AIA Announces COTE Top 10 Sustainable Projects for 2019

From AIA National: The 2019 COTE® Top Ten program highlights projects that meet the AIA Committee on the Environment’s rigorous criteria for social, economic, and ecological value. The COTE® Top Ten Plus designation denotes projects with exemplary performance data and post occupancy lessons https://www.aia.org/resources/6126355-2019-cote-top-ten-awards/?utm_source=real-magnet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hna19-3-cote-top-ten Keith ThompsonKeith Thompson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a principal at …

Happy New Year from Blueprint South Dakota!

2018 was a great year for architecture and design in South Dakota- here are a few links to check out some of the best work that was completed nationally and around the world. Let us know what stands out to you and why! https://www.archdaily.com/907313/the-best-architecture-of-2018 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13833-notable-projects-of-2018?id=13833-notable-projects-of-2018&ajs_uid=3237H0803912E4W&oly_enc_id=3237H0803912E4W&ajs_trait_oebid=3782E0258467B1M Keith ThompsonKeith Thompson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a principal …

Architects bring creativity to school safety

Mickelson Elementary School (Photo from Koch Hazard Architects)

School safety is never far from our collective awareness, with an average of one school-shooting incident per week in the United States. Although it is well documented that travel to and from school is and will remain far more dangerous statistically, the school building itself needs to uphold the expectation that, once inside, students are …