Been speaking with Donnie Williamson, Project Manager, Professional Practice, of AIA today about the upcoming CAE Spring Conference: “Building a Language of Communication”. The conference will take place in Cincinnati, Ohio between May 11-13th.

INFO:
Click this link to read the on-line brochure.
Click this link for the printed Registration Form.

The 2006 theme is Planning and Programming, and this spring the emphasis will be on the early planning stages where major decisions are made. How can we as architects be more involved in guiding these decisions?

We will see how decisions affect the quality of the learning environment and the building’s design from multiple perspectives.

Guiding case study/question #1:

The University of Cincinnati has had a strategic plan for the last decade for new architecture to be built by “signature architects.” The plan has included buildings by Morphosis, Gehry, Eiseman, Graves, and a CAE award winning project by Moore Ruble Yudell.

What affect does this strategic plan have on the learning environment?

Guiding case study/question #2:

Many midwestern states have comprehensive building programs with varying requirements.

How can architects create innovative learning environments within these programs?

Guiding case study/question #3:

Clients want to know what is the impact of building sustainable buildings.

What can we learn from the rebuilding effort occurring in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita?

Bonus for participants:

CAE conferences are learning events full of educational sessions and building tours. As a bonus, a reception will be held at Zaha Hadid’s Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. Don’t miss it.

Program:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10

7–8:30 p.m.: Registration, check-in, and attendee meet-and-greet reception
Cincinnati Hyatt

THURSDAY, MAY 11

7:30–8:30 a.m.: Breakfast and Conference Introduction

9–10:30 a.m.: Community Engagement
presented by KnowledgeWorks
University of Cincinnati

10:30 a.m.–12 noon: Cincinnati Public School
presented by KnowledgeWorks
University of Cincinnati

12 noon–1 p.m.: Lunch
University of Cincinnati

1–4 p.m.: Campus tour
University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati has had a strategic plan for the last decade for new architecture to be built by “signature architects.” The plan has included buildings by Morphosis, Gehry, Eiseman, Graves, and a CAE award-winning project by Moore Ruble Yudel. Discussion will include topics such as how this strategic plan has affected the learning environment.

4–5:30 p.m.: Clients Viewpoint of Building Sustainable Buildings
University of Cincinnati
Moderated by P. Richard Krehbiel, AIA, Architect/Vice President, Roth Partnership Inc.
Panelists: Robert J. Kobet, AIA, President, Sustainaissance International Inc.; James Dontje, Assistant Professor, Berea College

The construction of sustainable, high-performance educational buildings begins with the initial decisions made by building owners and administrators. More clients are becoming aware of and are leading the efforts toward more energy efficient and sustainable buildings. They are seeing the benefits of better learning environments for students and teachers, less cost of operation, and the showing their community the long term benefits to the environment.

Dick Krehbiel, 2005 chair of the Cincinnati Committee on the Environment (COTE), will moderate this panel of participants representing a K-12 School district, a college, and the design community. They will explore the early decisions made regarding building projects and how those early decisions were carried out in the building design and construction. They will discuss their experiences with the final result and performance of the sustainable, high performance buildings they have constructed. AIA COTE will assist in presenting a LEED-certified school and the planning and programming needs of such projects.

FRIDAY, MAY 12

9–10 a.m.: Rebuilding the Gulf Coast Schools: The Importance of Planning
Xavier University

10–11 a.m.: Local and State Programs
Xavier University
Moderator: Deane M. Evans Jr., FAIA, Executive Director, Center for Architecture and Building Science Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Panelists: Karen Shoup, Administrator, Contract Administration Program, State of Illinois; Melanie Drerup, Ohio School Facilities Commission; Mark Ryles, Director of facilities management, Kentucky Department of Education

State governments provide a range of services to local school districts to support facility construction—from providing funding and developing standards to providing technical resources. The need at the local level is great, and the ability of a state to provide the technical or capital resources to support local efforts is driven by a number of factors. Three states—Kentucky, Illinois, and Ohio—have developed programs in response to these needs. In this session, representatives from each state will make presentations on the services they provide and why each state has developed its particular programs. Deane M. Evans Jr., FAIA, who has been working for several years with the state of New Jersey in support of its school-facility programs, will lead the panelists in a discussion about prescriptive and performance standards, funding and equity issues, and how states can provide state-of-the-art technical support to local school districts.

State programs influence the educational environment and the building design of new and renovated schools. The discussion will explore how these programs can maintain a focus on the desired outcomes within an educational facility in a political environment with diverse geographical interests. In addition, the session will examine how architects can become involved in influencing these programs instead of just responding to rules and regulations while designing projects.

11 a.m.–12:00 noon: Case Studies: Ohio Schools
Xavier University

Included will be a presentation on John Hayes High School

12 noon–1:30 p.m.: Lunch and 2006 CAE Design Awards presentations
Xavier University

1:30–4 p.m.: Tour of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area schools

7–8:30 p.m.: Open gallery tours and reception
Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, designed by Zaha Hadid, Hon. FAIA

SATURDAY, MAY 13

10 a.m.–12 noon: CAE General Planning Discussion
Cincinnati Hyatt