It has been a chilly, snowy winter here in Baltimore, but we can take some comfort from knowing that Spring is right around the corner. Until then, I would like to encourage our local architectural community to continue to bolster your connections and voices.

We are seeing current events unfolding that may have profound effects on our profession at both the local and national levels, including potential challenges to historic preservation, urban planning, design style mandates for federal projects, and the  “deprofessionalization” of our architectural degrees and our profession, just to name a few.  Regardless of your position in the political spectrum, I encourage everyone to take the time to tune into the various conversations and advocacy happening this month, and to embrace the opportunity for education, discussion, and action. These issues have the potential to impact the work that we do, how we do it, and our office teams.  They may influence who is able or willing to pursue our field, may impact those who have just entered our profession, as well as the current and future leadership in our firms.

February is the month when architects convene in Washington, DC, for the AIA Leadership Summit. During this conference, we take a day to meet face-to-face with those representing us on Capitol Hill to discuss the key issues affecting our profession and the built environment. In my next newsletter, I’ll report on who we talked to, what was discussed, and opportunities for further AIA action and advocacy in support of our profession.

As we wait for Spring to arrive, there are numerous opportunities to connect with your architectural and design community at all levels of the AIA: local, state, and national.  See below for some highlights of what is happening locally, and join us:

AIA Baltimore   

• On February 24th COTE committee is hosting Boosting Multifamily Housing Availability through Single Stair Reform .  Register Here  for this event at our Center for Architecture and Design  

• The Health and Wellness Committee is hosting the  Lighting Control Design + the Patient/Clinician Experience on March 12th. For additional information

• The Lecture Series committee is preparing to launch its Spring Lecture Series: Materials and Methods. Mark your calendars for the end of March and Wednesdays in April.

AIA Maryland   

• Scholarships for our collegiate students are opening in February- if you teach or know of a student in our local colleges and universities in architecture, share this opportunity with them.

• Another opportunity to impact our community and future architects is to purchase a book-  K-12 Bookdrive   , or volunteer to help with the distribution to the schools.

• If advocacy and talking with our local representatives is something you have been considering, keep an eye out for Hill Day in Annapolis. You can register and see the schedule at Maryland Hill Day

• The call for Speakers is underway for the Future Forward conference in November, being held in Baltimore. If you are interested in participating in this conference, you can reach out to the Maryland AIA.

Let’s continue to set the example this year: get involved and participate. Feel free to reach out to me, any board member, or the AIA Baltimore staff members to learn how you can participate, support, advocate, and help shape our chapter.  Keep an eye out for our bi-weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the current events.