2013 Innovative Practice Forums

Hear first-hand about these important key findings from research commissioned by AIA Minnesota. These findings will be presented in four Innovative Practice Forums - the next Forum is June 12!

Registration for each Forum is required. Click on links below to RSVP for each Forum.
FORUM #1 on May 21 was a huge success! - Thank you!

FORUM #2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 AT 8 A.M.
(Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.)
Richard Varda, FAIA, VP Store Design, Target
The Architect’s Value Proposition / Exceeding Expectations
International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Ste. 185, Minneapolis, MN 55405
To RSVP for the June 12, Innovative Practice Forum #2, click here or go to http://2013juneinnpracforum.eventbrite.com

FORUM #3 WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 AT 8 A.M. (Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.)
Lauren Della Bella, President, SHP Leading Design
The Architect as Advocate / Building Partnerships
International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Ste. 185, Minneapolis, MN 55405
To RSVP for the July 10, Innovative Practice Forum #3, click here or go to http://2013julyinnpracforum.eventbrite.com

FORUM #4 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14 AT 8 A.M. (Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.)
Scott Simpson, FAIA, KlingStubbins
Integration Leads top Innovation / Exploring New Practice Models
International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Ste. 185, Minneapolis, MN 5540To RSVP for the June 12, Innovative Practice Forum #2, click here or go to http://2013auginnpracforum.eventbrite.com

These four Forums are FREE for AIA Minnesota members (a value of #200), and, pending approval, each program will qualify for 1.75 LU hours of continuing education. AIA Minnesota members in attendance will also receive a free copy of the Architects in Commerce Research Report.

2013 Architects in Commerce (AICRI)
Developed to research and document perceptions of the architectural profession and the aspirations of AIA Minnesota Architects in order to develop strategies and tactics that will better enable AIA Minnesota architects to provide higher-valued services and be more impactful in business and commerce.

With this Task Force, AIA Minnesota continues the important work started two years ago by the AIA Minnesota Recovery Task Force (see information below). Click here to download the AICI Executive Summary.

The Architects in Commerce Research Initiative was conducted in 2012 under the guidance and direction of the Board of Directors. This research was confidential, third-party, phone-survey interviews of member architect clients. The goal of the research was to better understand what clients are seeking from architects and to help define the perceived value in the services we provide.

2010 AIA Minnesota Recovery Task Force
Completed in partnership with the Carlson School of Management to better understand our changing Architectural profession and to assist AIA members with information and ideas to help reduce expenses, expand services, and obtain work during the recovery from this severe economic downturn.
FINAL Recovery Task Force Report: October 2010 (pdf)
Recovery Task Force Observations: June 2010 (pdf)
Firm Principals Survey Results (12-pg pdf)
Town Hall Summary (pdf)

CARLSON School Reports
Carlson School Report (ppt)
Summary of Points from Carson School Report (pdf)
Carlson School Report: Contractor Results (ppt)

Ann Voda, AIA
2013 President of AIA Minnesota

January 2013
So long 2012. Each New Year holds the promise to be better than the last.

On our extended ride in the economic tilt-a-whirl, a little leveling-out would be welcome. One way to weather the ride successfully is to set our eyes on the horizon and take the long view. Viewed from the perspective of distance and time, we are not simply tilting incircles, but shifting toward a long range future - forever changed for architects.

Many of the changes in the way we practice and the way we deliver the value of design were already foreseen and are being implemented. New methods of collaborating, supported with (expensive!) new technology, are underway. In contrast to building booms of the past where the emphasis was often on quantity, the current emphasis is to improve the quality of new and existing structures, by designing with our communities and future generations in mind. Shifting generational demographics will result in possibly the most profound changes of all, not only as they affect our clients’ needs, but as they impact the way we practice. AIA Minnesota has been intentional in its steps to predict these trends and help members help themselves through the swirl of change. We continue to advance and broaden the worth of our members and the value of our work with the Architects in Commerce Initiative commenced under the leadership of Jon Buggy. The idea was to understand how AIA Minnesota architects could be an in-demand resource in business and commerce. To do so, we needed to understand what our clients value in our services. So - we asked them.

The results of our survey vary from predictable to eye-opening and I encourage you to review the Architects in Commerce Executive Summary available at www.aia-mn.org.

Our clients value us for a variety of reasons. The majority of those surveyed want architects to function as their partners, not their vendors. The survey results suggest that to be valuable we have to go beyond building design. We have to broaden our view of our own worth and we may have to change. Yes, more change.

It’s a short year ahead, surely more excitement in store. Taking the long view, AIA Minnesota will continue to help members navigate meaningful change and level out the twists and turns to our future.

-- Ann Voda, AIA, AIA Minnesota President

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