February 201 Wilkus Architects sponsored Hole #12 Skyway Open Golf Tournament.
VJAA creative team honored at March Mpls Luncheon as 2012 AIA Firm of the Year
2012-AIA Minneapolis Bowling Night
AIA Minneapolis' Monthly Luncheons
Click here to watch a new video featuring the Evolving Practice Forum from one of our AIA Minneapolis Free Lunch presentations.
If you haven't participated in an AIA Minneapolis Free Lunch, you really should give it a try. Join us on the third Thursday of each month from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm at the International Market Square, Suite 185. You'll learn about a multitude of topics, including award-winners, government affairs, and related organizations, AND it's great networking!
More information and online registration.
Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards
AIA Minneapolis, Preserve Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission announce the 2013 Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards:
Historic Restoration, Rehabilitation, or Adaptive Reuse Project
Washburn Crosby Elevator No. 1
Basilica of Saint Mary Sacristy and Narthex Restoration
430 Oak Grove Apartments
Copham Apartments and ElseWarehouse Apartments
Minneapolis Grain Exchange Trading Floor (CoCo Minneapolis)
Recent Past Award
Cedar Square West (Riverside Plaza)
Community Education and Advocacy
Museum in the Streets - Lake Street
Good Luck and Good Fortune
The Hollywood Theater
Peavey Plaza
The Steve Murray Award
Chester Rog
Awards were distributed during the 22nd annual Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission Awards luncheon on Thursday, May 16.
Merit Awards
Unique in its approach to creating a jury, these awards encompass the views of business professionals, real estate developers, community advocates, and academic leaders as well as architects. The Merit Awards are bestowed to projects by AIA Minneapolis architects that tell a story of excellence beyond design, reflecting the variety of forces that shape a building.
The 2013 Award winners will be announced at the June 19*, 2013 Minneapolis Chapter Luncheon.
*Note change of date.
2013 US Bank Skyway Open
AIA Minneapolis was once again a very proud sponsor this event. Each year, AIA Minnesota member firms design creative and fun mini-putt golf holes and the public plays the course.
Skyway Open architects who were honored:
Top Prize: Hole #5 BKV
Greenest Green: Hole #12 Wilkus Architects - who said, "This was our first year participating in the Skyway Open, and we couldn't have been happier. We have watched this event grow over the past few years and couldn't resist participating. Our plan: take the proposed theme and added a little Wilkus touch. With a little fun, a few golf balls, and many inches of corrugated tubing, we created our rendition of Minneapolis in 2025. Our design starts you at the Walker Art Center with a few options: 1 – Take the highway around the city, over the stone arch bridge, and into the U of M Campus eventually landing in TCF Bank Stadium. Option 2 – Take the high road to the LRT, which separates you at the IDS into two tracks leading to TCF Bank Stadium. We had so much fun with this event, and will not hesitate to enter again next year. Our Judges were all board members of the AIA Minneapolis, which we were proud to have. We took "Greenest of Green" in the judging
, as our design supported the underlying theme of sustainable alternative transportation."
People’s Choice Award: Hole #15 Cuningham Group
Skyway Open benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities, a non-profit organization focused on youth outreach programs and community building. For more information, go to http://www.skywayopen.org
2013 Golf Outing
This year's AIA Minneapolis Golf Outing will be on Monday, July 29, 2013, at Majestic Oaks Golf Course.
Get your foursome together now! It’s a great day of golf followed by an enjoyable dinner and banquet with lots of prizes! The golf tournament raises money for the Minnesota Architectural Foundation and the Fairway Foundation. Click here for forms and information. Contact Pam Nelson for sponsorship opportunities and any other questions at nelson@aia-mn.org.
AIA Minneapolis 2013 Chapter Committees
AIA Minneapolis members – get involved with your chapter! Below are your chapter’s committees for 2013, make the most of your membership and join a committee today! Contact the staff liaison for more information, see the descriptions on the committee page, or fill out and return the 2013 Member Profile Form.
AIA Minneapolis Sponsorships
Skyway Mini-Golf Open, annually in February
Merit Awards, annually in May
AIA Minneapolis Golf Outing, annually in July
College of Design, School of Architecture, events and seminars throughout the year
Great City Design Teams
Five Minneapolis neighborhoods were chosen for some make-over design help 
from Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s Great City Design Teams. Teams of volunteer architects, landscape architects, urban designers and developers worked with residents and community groups in five key neighborhoods throughout 2007 to develop design visions for future possible changes. Read more.
Minneapolis Great Streets Facade Improvement Program
Click here for more information about the program. In 2007, the Minneapolis City Council approved the Great Streets Neighborhood Business District program, a coordinated effort to help businesses develop and succeed along commercial corridors and at commercial nodes throughout the city. A highly visible and successful feature of the program is the Facade Improvement Matching Grant Program. The Façade program provides grant funding to business owners and property owners for exterior improvements to commercial properties, including repair or replacement of doors and windows, exterior lighting, ADA improvements, tuck-pointing, signage, awnings, and restoration of architectural finishes and details. From 2008-2011, the Great Streets façade program stimulated $1,565,022 of private investment and $781,864 of public investment in 228 façade improvement projects citywide. In addition to physical improvements, the program also covers costs for architectural services (with some limits and stipulations). Yet, historically, few of the program’s past participants have taken advantage of the inclusion of architectural services as a reimbursable project cost. CPED coordinators would like more of its applicants to consider hiring a professional architect when designing a facade project – both to ensure more sympathetic and creative approaches to storefront improvements and to enhance the sense of place within designated commercial districts and streetscapes.
AIA Minneapolis and AIA Saint Paul CDes Scholarships
Every year, scholarships sponsored by AIA St. Paul and Minneapolis chapters are given to students at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design, School of Architecture (CDes). Four recipients were chosen in 2011.