Robert Weeks

I am the 2024 chair for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Regional and Urban Design Committee. The committee holds an annual symposium and this year the symposium is in Indianapolis. Below is the call for speakers. I hope you will consider submitting and sharing with others that you know. Knowledge Communities are AIA member’s source for new connections & information. Members can network and connect with their peers around the world and stay on top of their areas of interest. The Regional and Urban Design Committee (RUDC) helps architecture professionals keep pace with changing conditions and improve regional & urban environments through excellence in design, planning, and public policy. In support of this, RUDC is holding their 2024 Symposium in Indianapolis on November 14–15. A call for speakers has been released. We welcome all urban thinkers, no matter your discipline or geography, to contribute to this engaging and stimulating symposium. Speakers should address the following questions: What are the significant factors and behavioral constructs we must understand today to set future generations up for success and thrive in built environments? Are polycentric cities expanding or contracting figuratively and physically? Proposals are due June 14. Submit through https://lnkd.in/gNEQyy9X.

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#neglectedmodernism #cincinnati The appreciation for these more modern background buildings is an important topic in preservation today. They go against the norm of what we typically cherish, but now are begging for our attention. Urbanism benefits from a diversity of building typologies represented over time. They imbue a sense of the history of a place regardless of whether one agrees with the particular aesthetic or not. That’s the richness of #cities. And, of #citybuilding.

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Did you know? Between 2019 and 2023 rent prices rose 30.4%. The housing shortage in the US is no new issue — but what can we do to make housing more attainable to people? This recent AIA article by Wanda Lau explains the avenues in which architects can help the ongoing housing issue. From the creation of affordable housing, to the advocacy and education of alternative funding programs, our profession can work together to make a difference in local communities. Learn how here: https://ow.ly/OwPq30sGsT1 #HEDadvances #positiveimpact #housingforall #affordablehousing

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Affordability, social justice, and environmental stewardship— all three play a huge role in effective affordable housing design. My colleague and Housing and Mixed Use Sector Leader, Otis Odell, weighs in on how to address these challenges quickly and efficiently. Read about it here: https://ow.ly/vuAW30sCkM2 #HEDadvances #positiveimpact #housingdesign #housingforall #affordablehousing

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Another week, another webinar… this one is hosted by AIA Illinois and it’s one of my favorite topics to present: Materiality of Masonry. Please join us next Monday if you’re able. The enduring popularity of masonry in all its forms is largely attributed to the intrinsic properties offered by the materials of brick, block, stone, terra cotta, tile, and terrazzo. But in this era of rapid innovations in construction materials and techniques, does masonry continue to provide value, and how have these materials and assemblies evolved? This seminar takes a close look at the historic architectural significance held by traditional masonry materials, but it also challenges participants to use these materials in innovative ways, showing examples of contemporary design to balance their classic applications. The program then builds on the materials themselves, showing common wall and floor assembly details and emphasizing the importance of designing for performance and contructibility. Finally, it addresses the topic of sustainability and how masonry and tile’s composition of natural and healthy ingredients and their inherent durability translate to buildings that are healthy, long-lasting, and able to be repurposed generations after their initial construction. Register at https://lnkd.in/d2amZuBf #Masonry #Materiality #Education #AIA

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Best, most well-written & important architecture book I've read in the past 10 years? People, Planet, Design: A Practical Guide to Realizing Architecture’s Potential by architect Corey Squire AIA, lead author of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence. #design #architects #architecture #sustainability #climatecrisis #designexcellence

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When deciding to hire an interior designer, it is critical you consider only doing business with a qualified NCIDQ certified professional. The NCIDQ stands for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification.  It is administered and developed by the CIDQ: Council of Interior Design Qualification. A NCIDQ certified designer will ultimately guarantee you make sound design decisions, provide confidence in the process and help navigate the stress of construction.  An NCIDQ certified designer is: 1. Serious about their education; 2. Has learned from the best, not just fumbled through enough projects to be proficient; 3. Is organized in their practice and processes; 4. Knowledgeable about lawful and safe building practices; 5. Knows about more than just the interiors; 6. Is credible, honest, has integrity and ultimately raises the bar; Many government projects (local city, county, state and federal jurisdictions) require firms to have NCIDQ Certified Interior Designers working on their projects. Why not yours too? It is clear the NCIDQ qualified designer has it all.  Inquisitive, disciplined, organized, caring, adaptable, remarkable, refined, clever and has earned the right to call themselves Interior Designers.   Choose your designer and be proud of who you hire!  

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09022024 On Eloquent Ideas for September 2, 2024, we continue our discussion of African American Architecture with a look at ‘The Equity of Site Selection.’ Are all the good spots gone? Who got them? What does this mean for design? Later in the show, we will look at Another word from Voices of the Heart. This time the word is Evil, but we aren’t. Are you? Eloquent Ideas is a show about seeing more in the world around us. Listen at 1:00 EST every Monday on [https://lnkd.in/eZiuEUU7) [https://lnkd.in/e-VqKpWc) and Apple Music WDRBmedia Shown below are apartment blocks under construction in Philadelphia in July of 2022. If the good spots were already taken, what was sacrificed to build these? Is this solution worth the loss? Is this creative? It is surely efficient, but is that all we want from urban Architecture?

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Underutilized POPs (Privately Owned Public Spaces) is one way to break a placemakers heart. 💔💔 They are a missed opportunity to create vibrant communities, increase foot traffic, and stimulate local economies. This Bloomberg article explores POPs in New York City, highlighting that "many of these publicly owned private spaces will disappear if developers don’t see any use for them beyond the upfront incentive." Creative Placemaking can revitalize POPs, transforming them into lively, attractive areas for everyone to enjoy. This process involves more than just installing structures in plazas and expecting results. It requires cultivating a sense of place through local culture, art, and community engagement. By doing so, these spaces become more engaging and beneficial for the community. Simply building these spaces and hoping people will come is not enough; we need to foster community involvement and cultural integration actively. Click here to the Bloomberg Article here! https://lnkd.in/gsz3b6ZB #CommunityEngagement #CreativePlacemaking #PrivatelyOwnedPublicSpaces #RealEstate #RealEstateDevelopment MASSIVart

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"Some of the best experiences I’ve had with architecture were in the company of architects who could see, and explain, things I didn’t notice on my own. It’s not gossip, per se—though that’s fun, too. It’s lightly worn knowledge, freely shared. Being told how a magic trick works might diminish the surprise but not the pleasure of seeing it performed again. So, too, with the observations Holland shares in these pages. Consider this a request for more architects to write down, and more interviewers to ask about, their insights into others’ work." #architecture

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New podcast episode: Getting to Affordable Infill Development Eric Kronberg, of Kronberg Urbanists + Architects, is a wealth of knowledge for people wanting to truly understand the realities of new construction in cities. First off, it’s Kronberg with a long o, not as I initially pronounced it. Apologies to Eric. Eric and I talk about his work in missing middle housing, working in development in Atlanta, and the opportunities and perils of doing infill new housing. TLDR: it ain’t easy, but there are solutions. A couple of great takeaways I had from this episode are that the most cost effective way to build is a 3 story walk-up and the typical current strategy of upzoning commercial corridors and protecting single-family neighborhoods does not get us to an affordable place. In fact, it’s encouraging the most expensive forms of housing, and discouraging the least expensive. I highly recommend checking out Eric’s site for more. https://lnkd.in/g63iXHtW

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Did you know? Between 2019 and 2023 rent prices rose 30.4%. The housing shortage in the US is no new issue — but what can we do to make housing more attainable to people? This recent AIA article by Wanda Lau explains the avenues in which architects can help the ongoing housing issue. From the creation of affordable housing, to the advocacy and education of alternative funding programs, our profession can work together to make a difference in local communities. Learn how here: https://ow.ly/IiIR30sGGeH #HEDadvances #positiveimpact #housingforall #affordablehousing

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Excellent article on the challenges Milwaukee faces if Mayor Johnson's desire to grow the City's population to 1 million is achieved. Affordable, dense multi-unit developments should be encouraged near mass transit and have amenities that are within walking distance. While market-rate projects currently dominate the downtown landscape and nearby areas, this represents a small percentage of the land area within city limits. If Washington Heights is a microcosm of most of Milwaukee, we can't just provide quality, affordable housing in the face of declining household populations. There must be other crucial supporting elements. My hope is that the goal is reached. https://lnkd.in/gEYAvtsN

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Watched this hour documentary produced by Target. It primarily focuses on fashion such as the Open Style Lab, but there's also a segment on Tiffany D. Brown, MBA, NOMA, Assoc. AIA, the Executive Director of NOMA, and Michael Ford, AIA, NOMA's Hip Hop Architecture. The principles of #UniversalDesign always include #InclusiveDesign, designing with the clients and community, not for them. As more community specific projects get developed, general principles or common design considerations can be identified and incorporated into every project. For example, principles of design for the Deaf community can be found in the #DeafSpace framework developed by Gallaudet University, or the #Aspectss framework developed by Magda Mostafa. Are there common design considerations for African American oriented projects? #DiversityEquityInclusion #DEI #UD #DiversityEquityAndInclusion #Noma #NomaPDX #TheHipHopArchitect #DesignForGood

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Special thanks to Green Building and Design Magazine for inviting me to contribute a preservation-focused article as we approach Earth Day. Not only is preservation a sustainable practice, it can help solve critical issues that our communities face - including the nation's housing crisis. Read more about the merits of housing-focused preservation and adaptive reuse and let me know your thoughts. Let's continue the conversation about solutions so that everyone can access an affordable place to live. #sustainability #greendesign #EarthDay #preservation #historicpreservation #adaptivereuse #affordablehousing #housing Background: April 22nd has been observed as Earth Day in the U.S since 1970 thanks to the efforts of environmental advocates. It is now recognized in 192 countries. This was just four years after the 1966 passage of the National Historic Preservation Act, which can be attributed to preservation advocates who saw the value of retaining our existing and historic built environment. This article is an excerpt of essays about preservation's environmental and social benefits in "The Relevancy Guidebook: How We Can Transform the Future of Preservation," published by Landmarks Illinois in November 2023 and which I authored. Find it on our website (www.landmarks.org) under "Resources." https://lnkd.in/g722y_A5

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Six questions: that's what #SteppingUp – a national initiative in place to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in incarceration – asks us to consider. DLR Group Justice+Civic Design Leader Gary Retel covers what they are and how they impact the #design of these spaces.

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Did you know? Between 2019 and 2023 rent prices rose 30.4%. The housing shortage in the US is no new issue — but what can we do to make housing more attainable for people? This recent AIA article by Wanda Lau explains the avenues in which architects can help the ongoing housing issue. From the creation of affordable housing, to the advocacy and education of alternative funding programs, our profession can work together to make a difference. As my colleague Christopher C. Coates, AIA, NCARB notes in the article “The buildings and developments that we put forth are being lived in by individuals that will reshape or help the community.” Learn how here: https://ow.ly/StV630sGslF #HEDadvances #positiveimpact #housingforall #affordablehousing

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Modern multifamily housing needs to be forward thinking to embrace how we live today & in the future.

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