The nwaAIA has been wrapping up 2014 with many exciting events, including the joint Holiday Party with ASID and ASLA, and a presentation from Sage Glass about the future of electrochromic glazing. The preview party with the Ozark Literacy Council and the Fay Jones School of Architecture was a success with all in attendees able to view one of the professionally designed libraries at full scale, courtesy of Matt Poe with the talented individuals at modus studio. The Little Free Libraries for Northwest Arkansas collaboration is moving forward into the sponsorship and fabrication stages. If you are interested in sponsoring a library, donating materials, or building your own library, please contact Lori at aianorthwestarkansas@gmail.com. This fundraising venture benefiting the Ozark Literacy Council is a fun way to be involved in your community while educating the public on what architecture can be.
On December 18, we will have a hard hat tour of the Fayetteville Montessori School renovation by Ati Blackwell with Marlon Blackwell Architects. The project, to be completed in January 2015, is a 7200 sqft renovation and 4700 sqft addition of a strip mall into a preschool for children ages 2-4. Visit our website for more information on the tour and the project.
We will be jumping right in to 2015 with lunch and lectures in January and February (stay tuned for more information on those), a pop up in Rogers, AR, and a mentorship program for the students at the Fay Jones School of Architecture we will be kicking off for the spring semester.
The nwaAIA will be pairing students with architecture professionals in the northwest Arkansas area to develop a mentoring relationship. Students of all years will be invited to choose a mentor who will advise, consult, and nurture a professional connection with the student. The frequency of contact and nature of the relationship is left entirely up to the mentor and mentee.
‘Developing the careers of others taught me most of what I needed to know about leadership: how to encourage and inspire, give feedback and make judgment calls. Committed mentoring….gets you ready for the day you want to raise your hand for the bigger job. We learn as we teach, over time proving to ourselves that we have the skills and experience we need to lead.’ -Janet Kestin, Co-founder of Swim
If you would like to learn more about this program or future nwaAIA events, please visit our website.
The nwaAIA has been invited by the NWA Emerging Leaders Community Enrichment group to participate in a pop up event for the Rogers area. The group meets every third Monday at the Rogers-Lowell Chamber. For more information, contact Katie Strickland with the Arkansas Federal Credit Union in Rogers.
On a personal note, being chair of the nwaAIA for 2014 has been a privilege and an adventure. I’ve had the opportunity to meet incredible professionals in the area as well as all over the state. Anyone who has not participated in the AIA organization is strongly encouraged to do so with the anticipation of learning a lot about the profession and the capacity to make an impact in your community.
Thank you,
Lori Yazwinski
nwaAIA Section Chair
AIA Arkansas