This year the AIA Florida Convention was held in Orlando at the Grand Cypress Hotel at Lake Buena Vista. The theme was Green Architecture and there were many excellent seminars on the subject. AIA Orlando hosted the Casino Royale Chapter Party that was a lot of fun for everyone who attended. Casino "winnings" were used to earn raffle prizes. John Ehrig, FAIA was the Master of Ceremonies, and with Debra Lupton’s help, ran an energetic (and coercive) raffle / auction. Jeffrey Lurie designed a creative Casino Royale logo sign featuring AIA Florida President Mark Smith as James Bond.

By Tom Griffin, AIA

AIA Orlando President Steve Murphy opened the Annual Meeting on September 20 at the Sheraton Downtown ballroom.  Hamid Khanli (Treasurer) presented the Financial Statement and talked about our chapter’s bookstore which sells AIA documents. Secretary Hank Wolf went over our membership.  As of the meeting, we have 476 AIA Members, 97 Associate Members, and 74 Allied Members, for a total of 647. The new AIA Orlando Board Members were elected unanimously by acclamation. They include Larry Trobough (Allied Representative), Kris Stenger (YAF Representative), Lee Martin (Newsletter), Richard Krent (Programs & Events), Dan Kirby and Rebecca Talbert (AIA Florida Board), Hamid Khanli (Treasurer), and Jeffrey Lurie (President Elect).

C.T. Hsu, AIA talked about how architects should get involved in the Heart of Florida United Way. He follows Alan Helman, AIA as the Building & Design Arts Committee Chairman. C.T. introduced Dennis Burns, who reiterated that United Way donations go to 90 agencies with 180 programs that helped over 375,000 people.

Bob Burke, Jim Cramer, and Steve Murphy (Click to enlarge)

Bob Burke, AIA introduced the guest speaker, Jim Cramer, AIA with the Greenway Group that is involved with management consulting, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions. Jim is a well known author and columnist, and he spoke about The Architect Re-Imagined, trends and adaptations transforming the architectural profession. He started off by telling about his embarrassing mishaps of getting stuck in the airliner’s bathroom on the flight to Orlando. Then he talked about two of his books, “How Firms Succeed” and “The Next Architect – A New Twist on the Future of Design.

The world is changing dramatically in the following ways. We are running out of fuel, which means there will be an energy crunch. Population and poverty impact on a new urban scale. The climate is changing, and there will be shortages in the water and food supply. We are moving into a “One World” society which will have globalization dilemmas. And lastly, war, terrorism, lawlessness, and mayhem are issues that will have to be dealt with.

As it relates to architecture, there are ten trends that are affecting the architectural profession:

1. Integrated design on single platforms
2. Design / Build is growing
3. Talent shortages
4. BIM – design using models with attached data (like Revit)
5. Productivity increases of more than 100% (from technology and better management.
6. Specialization of “Brand” (clients select the best Design Specialists)
7. Fast architecture
8. Green and Sustainable Design
9. Building Life Cycle Involvement – architects will be involved with buildings throughout their life cycle.
10. High Definition Value – architects need to concisely define their value to their clients.

Some quotes from Jim Cramer’s books are: “Learn from our successes, but especially learn from our failures”.  “Architects get so busy working IN their firm that they forget to work ON their firm’s future”.

AIA Orlando members were able to tour two unique urban homes in the Lake Eola historic section of Downtown Orlando on June 27. The New American Home is a state of the art classic bungalow that is 4300 square feet. It was designed by Bloodgood Sharp Buster Architects & Planners (now BSB Design). The home has many innovative features and the latest in technology for urban living. The builder was Homes by Carmen Dominguez.

The Renewed American Home (Click to enlarge)

The Renewed American Home was rebuilt on an urban infill site overlooking Lake Eola.  It was designed by Lucia, Kassik & Monday, Inc.  The existing house was originally built in 1909, and was located on the property of the house mentioned above.  A hole was dug on the nearby empty lot and a basement was built.  The old house was moved onto the new structural basement, where it was completely renovated and expanded by PSG Construction, Inc.

Robert D. Edgar, ASID

HuntonBrady Architects, an Orlando-based architecture, interior design and master planning firm, is pleased to announce the addition of three new employees to notable positions with the firm:

Robert D. Edgar, ASID, has joined the firm as an interior designer. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design from Radford University in Virginia, and has over 12 years of

Jessica Bertram, IIDA-S

experience in commercial and interior architectural design.

Jessica Bertram, IIDA-S, has joined the firm as a designer on corporate interior projects. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design from Florida State University and has experience with educational and commercial interior architectural design.

Brender Buckley

Brender Buckley has joined the firm as a CAD Technician on commercial and healthcare projects. He has an extensive background in architectural computer drafting.

Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village (Click to enlarge)

With this month’s scheduled opening of Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village, the beachside fishing community of Destin Harbor becomes a true world-class resort destination.  Emerald Grande’s 281 resort residences include both fractional and whole ownership options, providing an exceptional vacation home experience with top-notch hotel-style services and amenities -- all served up against a stunning seaside vista.  The twin 13-story luxury residential towers of the Emerald Grande building proudly stand above the 14-acre HarborWalk Village, a high-end mixed use complex filled with outstanding retail, dining and entertainment venues.

HHCP/Architects served as the designer of the project’s exterior architecture, working in close collaboration with general contractor Moss Anderson, interior design firm Raleigh Design, the landscape design professionals of Glatting Jackson, and the project’s lighting designer, Gallegos Lighting.  The result:  a complex that blends handsome architecture with lavish design touches that allow the project to strike an expert balance of charm and grandeur.

(FGCU) Lutgert Hall (Click to enlarge)

SchenkelShultz Architecture has been chosen to design Florida Gulf Coast University’s (FGCU) Lutgert Hall, a new academic building, which will provide a facility for the Lutgert College of Business at the Fort Myers main campus. The firm was also the architect of FGCU’s student union.

Current plans propose a 70,000 square foot, three to four-story building. The major facility components will include: traditional and specialty tiered classrooms, a reception/lobby area, executive training room, various conference rooms, and a suite of offices. The total budget for the project is approximately $19 million.

This new facility is the second in a series of five buildings surrounding a quadrangle of green space proposed for the area. The first was Academic Building 5, which was also designed by SchenkelShultz.

According to Dan Tarczynski, Partner at SchenkelShultz, “The design of Lutgert Hall will incorporate the latest in technology that is critical in educating students for the business environment of the 21st Century.”

Killarney Elementary School (Click to enlarge)

HuntonBrady Architects is providing full architectural services for Killarney Elementary School, part of the Orange County Public Schools district in Orlando, Florida. The $10.5 million project consists of renovations of existing buildings and a new 40,000 square foot addition.

New construction at Killarney includes a food service building, administration building, two-story classroom building, play pavilion, staff and visitor parking, and bus loop. The new, contemporary building complements the existing school campus and brings notable upgrades in building design and technology. The school will remain in continuous operation during construction by locating the new addition within the boundaries of the existing sport/play fields, phasing construction and housing students in existing portables. The project is scheduled for completion in 2008.

HuntonBrady is working in association with Mateu Architecture of Florida.

Madinaty, New Cairo, Egypt (Click to enlarge)

Madinaty, New Cairo, Egypt
Now under construction – HHCP designed the master plan for this 8,000-acre luxurious new residential and resort community.  With a name that translates into “my city,” Madinaty will offer a range of residential living opportunities include sumptuous estate homes, elegant villas, and stylish multi-family dwellings, all featuring oasis-inspired landscape and hardscape design.  A variety of luxury hotels, upscale boutiques, and classy restaurants add to the mix, along with three elegantly exclusive clubs.  The community’s downtown district will include a mega mall, schools and universities, an office park, a research and development park, and other public facilities.  A trio of adjoining 9-hole golf courses enables enthusiasts to create a custom 18-hole course to their personal preferences.

Shanghai Fish, China (Click to enlarge)

Shanghai Fish, China
Now under construction – As fish stories go, this one is a whopper: a mixed-use residential resort community that covers two square kilometers—all in the shape of a giant fish. Planned as a showcase project for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China, the enormous aquatic icon landform known as “The Shanghai Fish” will become a center of the city’s luxurious marina lifestyle community—a project that will exemplify the Expo’s theme of “Better City, Better Life.”

Designed to become a high profile iconic landform like HHCP’s project The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, The Shanghai Fish’s signature architectural features are cleverly integrated with the earth-sculpted water form. The mixed-use development will include an interactive maritime museum, located in the “eye” of the fish; an elegant retail pier, which curves around to follow the contour of the fish’s “gill;” and an island of nightclubs and internationally themed seafood restaurants, situated on the “side fin.” A pair of lakeside marinas, occupying the “upper and lower fins,” will provide mooring slips accommodating over 300 boats. The Shanghai Fish will also offer a seasonal mix of visitor attractions including a spectacular nighttime musical fountain and laser show at the fish head lagoon.

Marine Reserve Training Center facility (Click to enlarge)

The Orlando office of VOA Associates Incorporated announced that construction is underway on a new Marine Reserve Training Center facility located on the Naval Weapons Station South Annex, Charleston, South Carolina. VOA is the Designer of Record for the design-build project in partnership with Sauer Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida.  The project is scheduled for completion January 2008.

The new, single story, 29,200 square foot building contains office space for Active Duty and Reserve personnel, training space, an armory and warehouse storage space. The future Vehicle Maintenance Facility will be sited adjacent to the MCRC and will contain maintenance bays as well as office and storage space. Site development includes a Privately Owned Vehicle parking lot for 60 vehicles and pedestrian walkways that link the parking lot with the training center.

The building’s exterior finishes include standing seam metal roofing, metal wall panels, stucco and split face Concrete Masonry Units (CMU). Interior construction features painted steel stud/drywall and CMU wall construction, acoustical lay-in ceilings, water resistant gypsum board ceilings, epoxy terrazzo flooring, sealed concrete floors and carpet with rubber base. Fixed furnishings include bleachers, audio-visual specialties, lockers, metal shelving and miscellaneous grillwork.

Solis front view (Click to enlarge)

As the name “Solis” implies, the sun is a major element in the 2.5-acre community’s design, with each of the 47 units directly facing 70-acre Lake Shadow.  Residential units in the seven-story condominium complex will range from 900 to 1,800 square feet, and the $20 million community will include amenities such as covered parking for each residence and a pool overlooking the natural beauty of Lake Shadow.

The Solis site is located just a few short minutes from Winter Park and downtown Orlando, putting residents within easy reach of fine dining, shopping and the arts. 

SchenkelShultz Architecture has been selected as designer of the new 377,297 square-foot Cypress Creek/Oak Ridge High School Relief in Lake Nona, which is scheduled to open in 2009. Orange County Public Schools partnered with SchenkelShultz to develop plans for the facility to accommodate the growing number of students at the existing Cypress Creek High School and Oak Ridge High School.

The school’s educational space will be arranged in two-story academic clusters lining the back of the campus that will allow for easy organization by grade level or subject area. Classrooms will be equipped with state of the art sound systems, student accessible computers and overhead LCD projectors that will be linked to teachers’ instructional computers.

The $70 million project will emphasize control, security and access, featuring a main entryway that will lead directly into an administration area that has visual access to the entire campus.  In addition, the school’s gymnasium, media center, auditorium and cafeteria will be located at the front of the facility, allowing easy access if needed for community use.