The AIA is leading the built-environment response to the pandemic.

As member Architects or members of the general public, it’s understandable to question “what are my dues paying for?” and “what does the AIA do for us, anyway?” There are detailed responses to those questions, of course, but right now it’s easiest to just present some tangible evidence of the value of this organization. In …

A Day in the Life: Transitioning to Online Learning

Imagine: It’s the fall semester of your senior year of college. You can’t wait to see all of your friends, have late nights in the studio, and take multiple trips to Lowes. Fast forward to your spring break. You have just finished your midterm architecture review and said, “See you later” to your friends and classmates. Little did you know, you probably won’t ever be seeing some of those classmates ever again.

Resiliency Revisted: AIA Spring Membership Meeting & SDSU AIAS Contribution

The last AIA Convention’s theme was rural resiliency. At that time, we didn’t know the challenges we have faced the last month or so. I keep coming back to the idea though. I have hope that our state will bounce back. Midwesterners are known for their toughness and ability to weather the storms: their resiliency. This year’s spring meeting was evidence of that attitude. The plan was to hold the meeting in Brookings hosted by SDSU’s chapter of AIAS. The students had put time and thought into an informative agenda. Social distancing changed plans.

Input Needed : SD Architect Collects Data About Architecture & Social Distancing

A South Dakota architect in Yankton, Sarah Mannes Homstad is conducting a study during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is in response to the evolving needs of our communities and questions about what it means, architecturally-speaking, to inhabit our world today. Mannes Homstad asked herself the following questions:  What is changing about the way we …

How Architecture Firms can Apply for an SBA COVID-19 Disaster Relief Loan

Initially published on March 20, 2020 Republished with permissions from April Hughes, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Board President, AIA Chicago Board of Directors at AIA Chicago Cover image credit: HPZS Office Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois By: April Marie Hughes, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C Dear Architectural Firm Owners, Like many of you, I could never have …

The Future of the Workplace: Life After COVID-19

While the silver lining in no way relieves the pain and suffering of those directly and indirectly affected by this global pandemic, it does pose some questions of what this means for the 9-5 desk jobs. Will we see another paradigm shift in office designs? Will home buyers evaluate prospective homes based on the office or den? Will South Dakota see a return to rural lifestyles as living in the city is no longer a requirement to stay connected? The future holds many unknowns, but if anything is certain, it is that life will go on. We will pick up the pieces and learn from the events that necessitated a sudden separation.

Tips for Architects Working At Home During COVID-19

As a follow-up to the preceding post, the attached article addresses some general strategies for continuing to maintain an architectural/design workflow while working from home.  Chief among the concerns of those faced with this reality, is the difficulty of overcoming the mental partition that exists between the office and home.  In response, the article emphasizes …

An Artistic Antidote to Self-Isolation

https://artsandculture.google.com/partner?tab=pop At the present moment, many individuals find themselves confined to their homes, in a collective effort to stem the spread of COVID-19 throughout their communities.  As undeniably important as this strategy is, it poses the risk of engendering an acute sense of restlessness and irritability, especially as time goes on.  To counter this tendency, …