Chapter President’s Message ~ June 2010

by Carl Lubawy, AIA,AIACV Chapter President

It’s Your Choice

As architects and members of the AIA, we discuss SMART growth, the SACOG Blueprint, sustainable communities, alternative energy sources; topics that do not require MBA’s to understand and appreciate. We applaud those public agencies, developers and homeowners that step forward and recognize that their projects do affect the environment and we give awards to those innovative design solutions that use less energy, produce net-zero carbon footprints.

Well then what do we do when a city council allows a vote that will decimate over 13,000, heritage oak trees,  promote 35 + mile one-way daily commutes – 80% most likely further promoting single passenger vehicles – and alter natural drainage patterns adversely affecting stream beds and wildlife habitats? Should we roll our eyes and say “oh well, that’s progress?” Do we say “don’t be concerned, the developers who received support of such an atrocious concept for development will hire architects that will help the new community be sustainable and implement alternative energy sources? There will be work for us!” I am sure the governing agencies of those fishermen, waiters and waitresses, park rangers and small children building sand castles on the white sand beaches of Mississippi now have second thoughts of deep, sea oil drilling. And then again, they may have no concerns because architects will promote sustainability for re-constructing the shoreline and the devastation caused by the oil-spill will be cast aside and become a topic of “back then.” As I wrote last month before the elections, beware of what and who you choose.

The above mentioned project recently approved goes against what we, as members of the AIA, promote. Being a personal supporter of other allied organizations’ efforts against sprawl and unnecessary building [not always a supporter of how they present their views], this project is that type of development easy to resent. It is inconceivable after many years of having the pleasure of seeing countryside still pristine in its virtues and so distant from employment – the one need that supports a populous and its amenities – that residents who have chosen a lifestyle rich in nature would even consider such a project. Live, work, play; unfortunately this project misses the “work” and greatly changes the “live.”

Communities seem to always want something they do not have and seek to believe people from areas that do have. Promoters of such aforementioned projects have their own agendas. Sometimes it is for the better; sometimes they convince themselves that their project will better a community; sometimes it is only ego with grandeurs of glory for they themselves seek something they do not have. Should we roll our eyes and say “oh well, that’s progress?” Or should we work in educating our clients, patrons, elected officials, helping them to see that projects are best remembered when the locale is respected and drawn upon in the solution?

Many of our members choose to have others promote our profession, architecture. They silently wait and question, “what are we doing for them.” They want the benefits, that which they do not have, through their expectations that their colleagues need to provide. And then, passionately, many of our members get it; architecture doesn’t happen, it doesn’t come to them because of a license or membership; they need to develop it, nourish it, they need to promote it. They need to head-off-at-the-pass project’s such as this one being discussed and offer their communities an alternative reason for better solutions. That’s what we do, that’s what we should do, that’s what makes us the foremost recognized voice for design that propagates sustainable communities. Let’s make a choice to do foster better architecture.