Colorado Architecture News | 08.02.23

“…once residents started working with the architects, they found that they could imagine the possibility for their house that was dramatically better, with lower energy bills, more thermally comfortable, and more environmentally responsible across the board than the house that they had.”

— Scott Rodwin, AIA, Rodwin Architecture, AIA Colorado North Section Direction, discussing sustainable residential design at the recent State of the Art of Architecture event, held at the Aspen Art Museum. Read more from the event here

On September 19th, join AIA Colorado as we unveil the recipients of the 2023 Design + Honor Awards and celebrate the exemplary work of Colorado architects. We sincerely hope that your whole team, clients, friends, and family can join in the celebration. It will be a fantastic event and we’re looking forward to it!

Event sponsorship is available and we invite you to view the event prospectus.

Practice + Design Conference Expo Hall Vendor Application Now Open to Premier Partners and Allied Members

Know a company that serves your firm and clients really well? The AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference expo hall and event sponsorship online sign-up page is now open to our Premier Partners and Allied Members as a benefit for their continued support of AIA Colorado. This opportunity to secure a booth, register for a learning lab, or become a conference sponsor is available through August 15th, at which point if there are opportunities still open, we will make them available to a wider industry audience.

If a firm is not currently a Premier Partner or Allied Member, there is still time to sign up as one of our industry partners and secure a booth, submit for a learning lab, or sign up for conference sponsorship.

Lastly, if you’re interested in viewing the 2023 Engage Practice + Design Conference prospectus, you can view it here.

Denver Local Advisor Tours

The Denver Local Advisors recently provided tours of the Colorado Convention Center expansion and the National Western Complex. Catch up with the Denver Local Advisors and learn about recent tours in the Denver area here.

Happy Hour Q&A with Boulder City Council member Lauren Folkerts, AIA

Tuesday, August 15th, join members from the North to hear what Boulder City Council is working on, and how to get involved. Lauren will provide an update on the City’s initiatives on affordable housing, homelessness, transportation, sustainability initiatives, the state of the Development Services Department, and a host of other topics of interest to the local architectural community. This will be a casual format and you’ll have opportunities for Q&A. Please RSVP in advance.

Code Class: Overview of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code

This August 30th, join us for an overview of the current 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code and how architects apply it to their everyday work. This full-day program includes lunch and will be submitted for approval for 6.0 AIA CES Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) learning unit hours. Early registration is now open for AIA members until August 9th, when registration will open up to non-members as well. Early registration rates expire on August 22nd! 

DNA Alpine wins the 2023 North American Copper in Architecture Award

Awarded to CCY Architects, this award recognizes and promotes North American building projects for their outstanding use of architectural copper and copper alloys. Learn more

Denver Community Planning and Development – Resources for Electrical Vehicle (EV) Charging Spaces Requirements

EV code requirements impact how parking is configured for a project and should be addressed during the Site Development Plan process. On June 20, 2023, City Council approved amendments that take a phased approach to these requirements to ensure projects already at the formal site development plan/construction drawing preparation stage can continue with minimal impacts
Learn more

2022 Denver Energy Code Resources

Residential and commercial checklists for the 2022 Denver Energy Code (DEC) are available. Please note that these have been recently updated and will continue to be updated on a regular basis.

Learn more

Denver Public Schools Opportunities

• DPS CEC Early College Coach/ Mentor is a volunteer opportunity seeking A/E and construction professionals to mentor high school students with specific interests in architecture. Deadline to apply is October 23rd.
• DPS High School Architecture/Drafting Instructor is an opening at DPS to teach high school students architecture and drafting.

More info regarding both opportunites can be found here.

Habits of the Anthropocene Conference

The ACADIA Board of Directors and the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado Denver are excited to announce the 2023 conference Habits of the Anthropocene: Scarcity and Abundance in a Post-Material Economy which will be held in person in Denver, CO from October 26-28th, 2023.

View Conference Website

Women’s Leadership Summit

Registration is open for Women’s Leadership Summit 2023! This premier event is designed for ambitious women who want to unlock their full potential, make a lasting impact on their careers, and lead change in architecture and the allied professions. 

Join AIA members in Boston September 12–14, 2023, to meet, network with, and learn from an extraordinary lineup of renowned speakers, trailblazing leaders, and industry experts—and earn up to 45 AIA LUs. 

Register here

Young Architects Forum July Newsletter

A newsletter from the AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF). Look out for important news, AIA updates, and ways to engage, no biggie. 

Read more

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Applications Are Now Live

This month, EPA launched two Notices of Funding Opportunity for the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) and the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA). In alignment with the Justice40 Initiative, these grants will fund key decarbonization projects and underscore adaptive reuse as an integral climate solution. The competitions share a closing date of October 12, 2023, and additional information about engagement opportunities as well as the process to apply for funding is available on the EPA’s website.

Learn more

Exceptionally Strong Growth in Nonresidential Building Spending Projected for 2023; Slower Gains Predicted for 2024

The American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) Consensus Construction Forecast panel has optimistic projections for nonresidential building spending in late 2023 and beyond, and the news is generally positive – with a caveat.

View Consensus Construction Forecast

Artificial Intelligence in Contract Management- Rhetoric to Reality

Today’s automated contract management systems and their use of AI grew out of three different disciplines – contract management, document management, and business analytics. Read more of the White Paper in the AI in Contract Management Series.

Read here

New eBook! Maximize Your Facilities Maintenance Contracts: Contract Fundamentals, Special Considerations, and Best Practices

This eBook serves as an introduction to the latest product offerings from AIA Contract Documents focused on building and facility maintenance.

Learn more

AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index Stable in June

The ABI score of 50.1 for the month indicates that billings at architecture firms remained steady as design activity continues to slowly recover from roiled economic conditions. When asked about AI, few firms reported using it, although 90% expect usage to increase over the next three years.

Read more

Some of AIA’s Top Honors & Awards are Open for Submission

AIA Honors & Awards has several awards open for submission—Fellowship, Interior Architecture, Regional & Urban Design, etc. View available submission opportunities and make Colorado proud!
View Submissions Currently Open

We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community.

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), headquartered in Chicago, is a non-partisan, not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry in the United States. AISC’s mission is to make structural steel the material of choice by being the leader in structural-steel-related technical and market-building activities, including specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, market development, and advocacy. AISC has a long tradition of service to the steel construction industry providing timely and reliable information.

Learn More About The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)

Looking for Additional Resources?

View AIA Colorado’s Allied Member Directory.