President’s message: AIANY has a new executive director - by Tomas Rossant

Tomas Rossant, AIA

By Tomas Rossant, AIA

The AIA New York chapter and Center for Architecture are pleased to announce that Benjamin Prosky will be joining us as executive director. Ben will step down from his role as assistant dean for communications at Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD)—where he has overseen events, publications, multimedia content, and special projects since 2011—and commence full responsibilities in early 2016.

With a background in urban studies and urban planning, Ben has devoted the past 15 years to the promotion and interpretation of architecture and the city. A fluent francophone, he began his career at the Institut français d’architecture in Paris, under the direction of Jean Louis Cohen. He later joined the Canadian Center for Architecture (CCA) as head of public programs, working closely with CCA founder Phyllis Lambert and director Mirko Zardini. Prior to joining Harvard GSD, Ben spent six years at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation as director of special events and external affairs. At Harvard GSD, Ben has overseen projects including Harvard Design Magazine, the GSD’s 75^th Anniversary activities, the school’s participation in the Venice Biennale and Design Miami, and the relaunch of the Wheelwright Prize. Ben also co-founded Architizer, the first social and professional networking tool created specifically for architects.

Ben brings a unique energy, intelligence, and experience to the executive director position. We look forward to more outreach, greater member value, deeper connections to the academy, and a stronger voice in the design of our city. Ben is the right person to imagine the AIANY of the future. We have no doubt that Ben will further our mission to educate and involve New Yorkers in understanding, exploring and raising awareness of architects and their key role in creating the built environment at the Center for Architecture. We are thrilled to have him on board to lead our organizations.

With the new year comes another milestone. Last week, the Lobbying Bureau of the City of New York announced that on January 1, 2016, a six-month amnesty period will begin, as mandated by Local Law 129 of 2013. The law intends to strengthen compliance with New York City’s lobbying law, and the amnesty period allows individuals and organizations who should have – but have not yet – filed lobbying reports without incurring penalties.

When the law was introduced in 2013, the text included architects on the list of lobbyists required to comply, and AIANY was instrumental in removing that condition, to ensure that the law does not negatively impact our architect members. The bill did not initially recognize that all architects present to public commissions and regulatory agencies as part of their professional processes and must be exempt from the provisions of the lobbying law. We urged the New York City Lobbying Commission to reconsider the inclusion of architects as lobbyists because of the effects it could have on the public and governmental review process, and on the viability of architecture firms in the city.

AIANY continues to support the NYC Department of City Planning’s Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposal, making its way through the city’s public review process. We have reviewed the text and believe the revisions will allow architects more leeway to create better buildings more responsive to local contexts. Over the last seven months, we have participated in lively discussions about ZQA and its implications for NYC’s neighborhoods. AIANY has taken a lead in educating the design community and the public on how the changes will lead to better buildings and communities. ZQA facilitates improved housing design by allowing architects to build out the maximum amount of floor area available to them, which is currently limited by height and zoning restrictions.

Tomas Rossant, AIA, is the president of AIA New York and a founding partner and design principal at Ennead Architects LLP, New York, N.Y.