Announcements
Opportunities for Building Designers
Part 9 of 20
(Links to prior posts can be found below)
This week, let’s look at broadening your design base. You might be a Leonardo de Vinci yourself and be capable of handling all the facets of total design, but the chances are you are not. Recognizing your abilities and shortcomings is probably the first step to establishing a broader base of design operation. Many successful architects are lousy designers and will admit it. However, they know how to tie a project together, and how to hire the right personnel to do the designing as well as how to keep peace on the design team. Many other architects are great designers and lousy businesspeople. Most successful architects and building designers have tried to develop their taste and judgment so that they create the design concept themselves or so that they can readily direct their design team in such creation. They then take a significant role in client contact and the development of new business plus a management role in the design team.
Can building designers reasonably operate in this manner? It would seem so, providing they can handle it. Yes, there is every reason for an interested building designer to search out the possibilities of expanding his practice in this manner.
In general, the most necessary services include:
- Site Planning
- Building Design
- Civil Engineering (Grading, Drainage, Etc.)
- Structural Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering (Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Etc.)
- Specification Writing
- Interior Design
- Landscape Design
- Graphic Design
It is a good idea to have an accountant and a management consultant on hand.
If a building designer were to offer to perform all the above services, he would be headed for trouble with various state boards. However, it is eminently possible for a designer to gather a group of qualified persons with the proper licenses and to speak in the name of the group when offering complete design service. There is also no need for massive expense in advance for such an offer. While a few professional engineers have been confused by their organizations on the subject of working with building designers, you will find that most engineers are hardworking and sincere, like yourself. They can see the advantage of being associated on a joint-venture basis on large projects where they otherwise might not have a chance. However, it is essential that the group consolidate before the offering of those services. Not only are we told that is legally essential, but it is a much better business since you can present a brochure showing the background and experience of individuals who would work on the job.
How do you get the work?
If you have been reading everything said in this publication, you are aware by now of the value of contacts. The reason for public relations is to identify you as a building designer with those people who may ultimately need your services. Were you to establish a group as outlined above, that fact in itself is newsworthy and should be reported to those newspapers and magazines read by your potential clients. Also, a group of this type deserves a professionally prepared brochure describing the group qualifications to perform complete design services. As a part of your agreement with the members of the group, it is wise to require that each member of the group call on designated clients from a master list to acquaint those clients with the available service and to leave a copy of the brochure. By making a master list, there is less chance of duplication or oversights. Such a group is eligible to perform design services for the largest clients including state, country, and local government agencies. Military bases retain firms of this type all the time. Saturation of the market is a crucial element in public relations.
How to prepare:
Assuming you are qualified at your specialty of building design, focus your preparation on which role you will accept in the group. Are you the leader of the group or one of the participants? There has to be a captain of this ship, a chairman of the group, an arbitrator, and if that is you, your preparation should include knowledge of how such a group works and how to achieve the best results from a group effort. There are college-level classes available in “group leadership,” and “the dynamics of participating groups.” There are also excellent books available in the library. You may be one of the fortunate who seems to know how to stir up enthusiasm intuitively and lead a steady team pace. Preparation for the leadership of such a group requires that you know enough of the technical side of each member’s field to be able to tell that the design is in keeping with the concept and that one of the team members is not making a monument at the expense of the others. Most architects receive adequate training in school to be able to handle such coordination properly. You will be competing with that education, and you should try to fill in any gaps in your knowledge.
How to handle the work:
Your client expects to receive a wholly coordinated and correct set of construction documents for their money. They expect your group to do all of the checking and coordination and not to get involved in it themselves. They want to be constantly aware of the progress of the job and want one individual to whom they can turn to for information at all times. For that reason, it is wise to assign a project manager for each project. Let that project manager have full responsibility for running the job, which is standard practice in most large offices. You will have to assign budgets to each of the participating individuals, and one of the best methods of doing this on medium size projects is to split the fee in advance, according to the amount of work each will be contributing. Your contract with the owner must be specific about payment for changes, of course, to avoid exposure to considerable extra design costs that are hard to allocate to the individuals. As complex as these projects can become, they are highly remunerative and are well worth the effort of securing.
Here are links to the prior posts:
- February 25th – Introduction
- May 3rd – Considering Opportunities Before the Design Stage
- May 11th – Site Selection Consultation
- May 18th – Advanced Planning For Commerce
- May 25th – Feasibility Studies
- April 01 – Advanced Planning for Industry
- April 08 – How to Provide a Designer Selection Consultation
- April 15 – Total Design
AIBD Annual Membership Meeting
Please mark your calendar and make plans to attend the Institute’s Annual Membership Meeting, Friday, August 9, 2019, from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m., at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in beautiful Clearwater Beach, Florida. Followed by the Design & Build Expo Happy Hour. There is no cost to attend either event, however registration his requested.
The Annual Membership Meeting is a part of the Design & Build Summer Conference, hosted by AIBD. Also a part of the summer conference is the annual board meetings, the Compass Club Appreciation Event, The 2019 Inductions into the College of Fellows, and the American Residential Design Awards gala dinner.
For the full schedule visit AIBD.org/summer-conference-schedule.
Open Call: 2019 American Residential Design Awards
You can now submit your entries for the 2019 Amerian Residential Design Awards!
Since its beginning, the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) has celebrated outstanding building design achievement. One of the most recognized ways it does so is through the American Residential Design Awards, or ARDA, program.
The program provides professional and public recognition of residential projects, single-family homes and townhomes, built or planned to be constructed, throughout North America.
Each entry is judged on the success of the solution presented and not in competition with other entries. To date, hundreds of design professionals have received recognition for thousands of expertly designed homes.
All residential industry professionals are eligible to enter, individually or collaboratively. Entries previously submitted to ARDA are still eligible provided they haven’t yet won recognition in the same category. Entries may be entered in more than one category (e.g. Custom Homes and Green Design) and all completed projects are eligible regardless of their completion date.
ARDA is the AIBD’s premier award program exhibiting design excellence in the residential building industry. It spotlights the most creative and innovative residential designers, builders, remodelers, architects, developers, land planners and interior designers in the nation.
Visit ResidentialDesignAwards.com for category descriptions, details and to register.
RDIndex: Dip in housing starts is temporary
The housing starts dipped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.139 million — .3% below the revised February estimate of 1.142 million and 14.2% below the March 2018 rate of more than 1.3 million. According to the Residential Design Index (RDIndex), performed by the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD), this trend should change soon. The RDIndex was at a recent low 0.61 in January 2019 and has increased gradually to an annual high of 3.09 this month. Typically, the index predicts the status of new single-family permits three to four months in advance.
The RDIndex slowly declined the last six months of 2018 from high of 2.88. “If the indicators remain true to prior trends, single-family permits should be back up to 20,000 [monthly] by summer.” Says AIBD Executive Director, Steve Mickley. “Our members are reporting an increase in projects currently in production and the number of inquiries are through the roof.” He adds.
The RDIndex is a leading indicator measuring the current workload, backlog, and stock plan sales of AIBD members and non-member Certified Professional Building Designers (CPBDs). Thus, indicating the future activity in the single-family housing industry by virtue of the health and future of residential designs in production, hiring trends and project cancelations or delays. A positive index reflects an increase in new home designs entering into construction estimating, contracting, mortgage and permitting over the next two to three months. A “zero” index indicates no change from the prior month and a negative index means a decrease in new projects entering the next phases over the coming months.
2019/2020 slate of officers and directors announced, further nominations from the membership are being accepted.
The Nominating Committee, chaired by Immediate Past President, Kevin Holdridge, have named the following candidates to be elected to the 2019/2020 Board of Directors:
- President – Karen Kassik-Michelsohn (AK)
- Internal Vice President – Bernie Kern (CO)
- External Vice President – Yu-Ngok Lo (CA)
- Secretary – Lori Schaffer (OH)
- Treasurer – Richard Emigh (CA)
- Director – Michael Battaglia (OH)
- Director – Felicia Foster (TX)
- Director – Ted Hake (OH)
- Director – Robert Klob (AZ)
- Director – Joseph Sirilla (FL)
- Director – Benjamin Tabolt (CO)
The Committee is now seeking further nominations.
Each year, five officers and up to six directors are elected for a one year term, in the following manner.
- Any two (2) Professional members in good standing may submit the name of a member for an office (one of them may be a self-nomination).
- All submittals shall be in writing, outlining any particular qualifications that the nominator wishes the Nominating Committee to be aware of.
- Nominations shall be closed by April 30 of the year in question and shall be forwarded by the national staff to the Nominating Committee for review.
- The Nominating Committee shall review all submittals to ensure that they meet the bylaw requirements and that the nominees are willing to serve.
- All names shall then be forwarded to the national office for publication by May 30 of the year in question or per the bylaws of the Institute.
This is your chance to be a part of the exciting changes and growth of your organization. All goal-oriented, self-starting, and organized Professional members may apply.
For the nomination form and more information, such as responsibilities and commitments, visit AIBD.org/board-of-directors.
Two-For-Tuesdays! April membership drive!
Each Tuesday this month, AIBD is offering a Two-For-One Membership Drive. Join on any Tuesday in April (2019) at the full rate and receive a coupon to share with someone else join at your same level of membership…for FREE!
Here’s how it works…
Step 1 – Visit JoinAIBD.org and click on the membership level that fits your needs.
Step 2 – Click the link and join at full price.
Step 3 – Our staff will follow up with a coupon for one year of complimentary membership (at your same level) to share with someone else.
Option – Call 1-800-366-2423 and handle steps 1 & 2 over the phone.
This is an excellent opportunity for business owners with one or more employees and for those who regularly collaborate with other building designers.
What does that mean for existing members?
Compass Club points, for one thing! Each time you refer a new Professional Member you get 2 Compass Club points and 1 point for all other membership levels. Don’t know about the Compass Club? Visit AIBD.org/compassclub to learn more. A special event is held each year just for Compass Club members. This year it’s August 8, 2019, in Clearwater, FL.
A FREE renewal, is the other thing! Refer three new Professional Members (or more) between June and July and you get a FREE one-year renewal.
Clarification: Their “wing-man” doesn’t count during this drive. Two-For-Tuesday’s only count as one “paying” member when it relates to recruitment awards.
When we ask, “How did you find out about us?” The most common answer is, “I know someone who…” Referrals continue to be our top source for bringing in new members.
Remember, BOGO memberships are available only on Tuesdays, only during April 2019.
College of Fellows seek nominations.
The AIBD College of Fellows has announced they will be performing an induction ceremony at the American Residential Design Awards dinner at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida, on August 10, 2019. Nominations for Fellows are accepted at any time but to be considered for the coming induction, nominations must be received on or before April 30, 2019. Only AIBD Professional members may nominate another member for consideration.
The honor of membership in the College of Fellows is bestowed upon a Professional Member of the American Institute of Building Design who is a certified Professional Member of AIBD, and has notably contributed to the advancement of the building design profession by excellence in design, or by excellence in design in combination with excellence in education, literature or public service.
The College of Fellows are actively managing or working on various programs revolving around higher education and mentorship. For example, all of the student scholarship programs are administered by the College. All of the outreach to students in High School and College is supervised by the College, and currently the College is constructing a peer-to-peer business club program.
CLICK HERE to download a nomination package.
AIBD scholarships are available.
Student members and relatives of Professional members qualify for scholarships. The American Institute of Building Design’s College of Fellows awards two scholarships each year, the College of Fellows Memorial Scholarship and the Bill & Annette Farmer Memorial Scholarship. Students who qualify for each may apply for each at the same time. Those who have applied before, regardless of whether they received the scholarship or not, may ask again, provided they still qualify. Scholarship recipients are announced at the American Residential Design Awards gala dinner, which is in Clearwater Beach, Florida, Saturday, August 10th. The $1000 scholarships may go towards tuition, housing, meal plans, lab fees, and books. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2019.
CLICK HERE to register and access the online scholarship application form.
Events
What makes our conferences great?
You do!
Conferences can be highly effective at helping you advance a wide range of professional objectives. For example, they can help you build and extend professional contacts, find a mentor or collaborator, gain experience presenting original work, advance your subject matter expertise, extend your knowledge of resources, introduce you to new theory, methods or tools, learn ideas, develop new skills or just refresh your interest in and enthusiasm for managing projects. Whatever the goal, be intentional in the way you seek to advance your professional identity, contacts, and knowledge. Don’t passively attend the conference use it to advance your career objectives!
Upcoming Design & Build Conferences, presented by AIBD:
May 2 & 3, 2019 – Knoxville, Tennessee
Sponsored by:
Featuring:
- D&B Field Trip – Witness a building’s energy efficiency test, on site.
- D&B Cafe – A roundtable discussion on Work/Life balance.
- Educational Content –
- 2018 IECC Updates
- Manual J, D, and S, as well as REScheck, Calculation Training
- Radon Mitigation
- Smart Home Performance
August 9, 10 & 11 – Clearwater Beach, Florida
Sponsored by:
Featuring:
- D&B Field Trip – Visit two Florida mansions, one under construction, designed by AIBD member and ARDA award winner, David Lesser.
- D&B Cafe – Learn from each other at the Idea Swap Breakfast.
- Educational Content –
- How To Choose The Right Clients
- How Much Should You Charge For Your Services?
- W2 vs. 1099: How Contractors and Employees Differ
- Architectural Copyright Law: Basics and Current Trends
- How To Create A Contract For Your Design Business
- Lessons Learned Operating A Design/Build Business
- Time management
- Social Media
- Growing Your Small Business Growth
- Special Events:
- Board of Directors and Board of Examiners meetings
- The Annual Membership Meeting
- The Compass Club Annual Appreciation Event
- AIBD College of Fellows Inductions & Scholarships
-
The ARDA Awards Dinner
Sponsored by:
November 7 & 8, 2019 – Seattle, Washington
- D&B Field Trip – A Smart Home Tour
- D&B Cafe – What challenges are you facing as a professional?
- Educational Content –
- As-Built to BIM With 3D Laser Scanning
- The New Rules on Lighting
- BIM vs. CAD, Why Are You Really Offering?
- The Latest Tech For Running Your Business
- Disrupting Reality: How VR & AR Are Changing Architecture
- Drones in Construction: How They’re Transforming the Industry
One-Day BIM for residential training, May 21
Does it make sense to use BIM for residential projects? Yes! Learn a new skill set, drive change and fully reap the rewards of the digital residential construction revolution. Those who attend this course will leave with the ability to utilize BIM effectively in residential construction and the first step of a two-step journey towards obtaining their Certified Residential BIM Manager (BIM-R®) credential complete.
This opportunity is a part of the limited pre-conference training offered as a part of AEC Next and SPAR 3D conference in Anaheim, California, May 21 -23, 2019. The $300 Registration includes free AEC Next and SPAR 3D expo pass and provides an additional 15% off any other conference pass.
Use code AIBD to receive a free AEC Next and SPAR 3D Expo Hall pass and 15% off any additional AEC Next or SPAR 3D conference programming.
The AIBD Susquehanna Valley Chapter Meeting
April 25 @ 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Attention AIBD members & friends! We, the Susquehanna Valley Chapter of AIBD, are having a free Lunch and Learn session. We’d love for you to come and join us while getting a better understand about wood floor joist and earning the credits you need.
- Where: Arthur’s Terrace in the Boardroom, 222 Eden Rd., Lancaster, PA 17601
- Speaker: Brady Peat, Allegheny Structural Components
- Topic: Evolution of the Wood Floor Joist
- Engineering timber from our forests.
- Re-Engineering lumber from our trees.
- Building Codes & Public Safety.
- Latest technology to accommodate new building designs.
Worth 1 AIA/CES Credit.
Please reserve your spot by contacting: Carolee Stauffer at lhdinfo@windstream.net.
The AIBD Central Colorado Chapter Meeting
April 26 @ 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
We invite you to attend our bi-monthly Lunch-N-Learn meeting to network as we strive to provide the best future through learning, sharing and understanding for our clients.
Presenting will be Mike Lavin and Eric Ludemann with Simpson Strong-Tie. Eric will be presenting “Building Connections”. An education class on how technology can be used to collaborate with engineers, builders and component manufacturers.
Mike and Eric are looking forward to showing the AIBD Central Colorado Chapter how Simpson is evolving. Simpson is not just a connector company anymore. Simpson has commented on how they really appreciate the opportunity to present.
- Where: The Warehouse – 25 W Cimarron St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903 United States
Please RSVP by contacting the AIBD Central Colorado Chapter Contact, Benjamin Tabolt at 719.323.8400 or ben@cdgprojectstudio.com.
The AIBD Portsmouth Chapter Meeting
May 2 @ 11:15 am – 2:00 pm $30.00
Featuring Speakers From Techno Metal Post NH, Alex MacDonald & Michael Hutsenpiller.
| Schedule: | |
|---|---|
| 11:15 to 12:15 | Presentation |
| 12:15 to 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:15 to 2:00 | AIBD Portsmouth Chapter business meeting. |
Check out the AIBD Calendar for more info.
- Where: Sea Glass Restaurant – 4 Oceanfront North Salisbury, MA 01952
Please RSVP by April 22nd 2019 to mhally@michaelhallydesign.com.
Training
Ron Blank & Associates launches “AIBD Courses by Division.”
The AIBD is committed to providing quality continuing education to ensure its members remain current with technology, materials, and building codes. As such, the AIBD has partnered with Ron Blank & Associates to offer educational content relating to the knowledge areas and skills identified by AIBD’s building design practice analysis, which forms the foundation for AIBD’s Certified Professional Building Designer (CPBD) Exam. The courses are according to the four domains of the exam: Business Administration, Business Practice, Design Process, and Building Design.
To access this particular AIBD educational webpage within the Ron Blank & Associates curriculum, you can get there three different ways:
- The easiest way is to click here. Don’t forget to bookmark the page.
- The next easiest way is to search “Ron Blank AIBD Courses” in your preferred search engine. Steve likes Google. Garrett likes DuckDuckGo. Some people like Bing or Yahoo (which are mostly the same).
- The long way to get there is to visit www.Ronblank.com, click the “Online Courses” tab and you’ll land on the “Organized by CSI Division” page. On this page, as a part of the “Free Courses” tab, you’ll see the “AIBD Division” link.
Some examples of the one-hour, free, online courses available are – How to Win Good Architecture Projects Consistently, An Introduction to BIM & Automated Specifications, Architectural Application of Water Protection Systems, Architectural Railing Systems: Style You can Hold on to, and more. In total, there are 50+ courses to choose from, and Ron Blank tells us he is committed to growing that list. In addition, there are 40+ more courses found under the “AIBD Divisions” tab at GreenCE.com, another Ron Blank & Associates company.
The same courses exist throughout the RonBlank.com and GreenCE.com websites. However, those located on the AIBD Division pages are categorized according to a job task analysis performed by the AIBD. For those who are already CPBDs, each of the on-demand courses listed receives Primary CE units. For those seeking their building designer certification, these courses may serve as a means for preparing for the exam, although AIBD does not claim that any program available is better than another. Finally, for those only interested in improving their knowledge and skills in building design, these courses have been identified to be relevant to the knowledge, skills, and ability of building designers in general.
Upcoming free GreenHome Institute webinars:
The Ongoing Electrification Futures Study (EFS) – Free CE Webinar
In this multi-year study, NREL and its research partners—Electric Power Research Institute, Evolved Energy Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Northern Arizona University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory—are using multiple analytic tools and models to develop and assess electrification scenarios designed to quantify potential energy, economic, and environmental impacts to the U.S. power system and broader economy.
| When: | April 24, 2019, 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm (EDT) |
| Where: | Online |
| Cost: | Free |
The GreenHome Institute’s – “MI Net Zero Energy Residential Conference”
The MI Net-Zero Energy Residential Conference will bring you state and regional experts to discuss ways to break down the barriers to get new and existing residential buildings to net zero.
| When: | May 8 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (EDT) |
| Where: | Founders Brewing – 235 Grandville Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 |
| Cost: | $30.00, AIBD Members get $10 off! Contact info@wordpressmu-677229-2378149.cloudwaysapps.com for the discount code. |
You can check out all GreenHome Institute’s events at https://greenhomeinstitute.org/events/.
Miscellaneous
Welcome new AIBD members!
Please help us welcome those who joined or rejoined AIBD this past week.
| John Beckwith | CO | Professional |
We are pleased you have chosen AIBD as a resource for professional and personal growth. Membership provides technical information, advocacy, professional networking opportunities, as well as participate in programming sessions offered at various conferences throughout the year. All designed to help advance your career.
Visit “SearchHomeDesigners.com” to reach out and exchange information with other professionals in the building designer industry supporting the AIBD mission.
Motivation for your Monday!
“I learned that focus is key. Not just in your running a company, but in your personal life as well.” – Tim Cook
Check out the latest edition of the AIBD Magazine:
DesignerDocs!
Editable contracts and forms.
DesignerDocs are available free as a membership benefit to AIBD members and may be purchased by non-members in the industry for $99.
Check out the AIBD Job Board
Whether you’re looking for a job, or looking to hire someone, this is the best job board in our industry.
If you’re looking for work, it’s free to post your resume. This is great because if you’re looking for work, you’re probably pinching pennies until you get it. If you’re a student, we understand your student debt is high enough. You won’t have to pay anything to seek employment through our job board.
If you’re looking to hire some help, you can use our job board to search for quality candidates. You’ll be able to browse the resumes for free, and contact the candidates for free. You’ll pay only when the candidate is interested in your position. Hiring the right person is an investment in your company, and saving time with our easy to use job board will free you up to focus on other tasks.
Go check out the job board right now at AIBD.org/jobs.
Also, if you’re looking to hire, don’t forget that we have training on the right way to hire employees. AIBD members can take this course for free; just give us a call at 800-366-2423 or email us at info@wordpressmu-677229-2378149.cloudwaysapps.com.
Join AIBD’s industry e-newspaper.
Want to know what’s going on in your industry but don’t have time to surf the web, follow Twitter, or sift through the useless posts on Facebook? Now you can. We’ll filter out the senseless stuff and deliver relevant industry news, trends and ideas directly to your inbox every weekday. Subscribe today for FREE.
The #HomeDESIGN Professional Daily is a content curation subscription that turns socially shared industry news into a useful online newspaper. Last week’s editions included the world’s first smart streets, a 3D printed office of the future, how small firms keep up, and more. The paper is organized in sections – Science, Business, Technology, Environment, plus daily sections. There are instructional videos, interviews and inspirational photographs.
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