2016: AIANY’s year in review “Authenticity & Innovation” - by Carol Loewenson

This past year, AIANY celebrated the theme of “Authenticity & Innovation” – a theme that explored the shared connections people have to those around them, their environment, history, and their hopes for the future. We used these to reflect on how authenticity and innovation together can create the foundation for great architecture and great cities. This theme extended to our programs, outreach, and advocacy efforts here at the Center for Architecture and throughout the city. 

This spring, AIANY partnered with the NYC Department for the Aging to produce the Aging-in-Place Guide for Building Owners. The guide offers a wide range of recommendations for renovations and improvements that protect the safety of older tenants and improve the quality of life for all residents as part of the Age-Friendly NYC initiative. The guide provides simple, innovative designs and recognizes architects’ increasingly important role in ensuring that the city remains a safe place to grow old.

This summer, we hosted the eleventh annual FitCity conference with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. This year’s conference was held at BAM Fisher and focused on neighborhood change in the Brooklyn neighborhoods surrounding the venue. FitCity 2016 addressed strategies for human-centered design. Keynote speakers discussed the ranging perspectives on neighborhood change and the role design plays in tying communities together.

Throughout the year, AIANY remained committed to mitigating climate change and promoting resiliency. We lead New York City’s Buildings Technical Working Group, a cross-sectional task force of industry, non-profit, and government experts working to assess how buildings can achieve the “80×50” goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. The work produced by the group led to an update of the NYC Energy Conservation Code this summer. These efforts were furthered by legislation passed in October to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment. AIANY also partnered with the Urban Green Council and the NYC Department of Buildings to offer training programs and forums to prepare architects for the code changes.

Finally, over the past year, the Center for Architecture reached over 2,000 students and teachers through the award-winning Learning By Design:NY program – 50% of which occurred in the city’s most underserved schools. The school-based residencies introduce K-12 students to architecture and design through a series of hands-on workshops. With the program, we’re continuing to advocate for expanding the citywide STEM curriculum and hoping for more architecture education in New York City public schools.

As my last letter as president of the AIA New York, I want to affirm our belief in equity in design and its benefits to all, especially in the critically needed areas of senior and affordable housing, sustainability, and accessibility. In 2017, AIA New York will remain committed to increasing programming and exhibitions that promote more inclusive communities, create civil dialogue between stakeholders, and foster mutual respect between architects and the public. Architecture matters, and we want to help make it engaging, exciting, and accessible for everyone!

Carol Loewenson, FAIA, LEED AP is the 2016 president of AIA New York and a partner at Mitchell | Giurgola, New York, N.Y.