A lesson in Style: The Olsen Twins Fashion Style

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMOSV8U6BssTS2qMjvuUrm_gandF9gHv_4dezCpQTcmReF58dsDZzj-5ClGLoaL8z7yROpd-y7sYYoBKl9aL5Faf16ji7kwsSpuYtM073O-ZoEFN0Ef-U5EWivCOqs1LMlL5cFHgFzbKC/s1600/16facafc3dd418021937587c040561a0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMOSV8U6BssTS2qMjvuUrm_gandF9gHv_4dezCpQTcmReF58dsDZzj-5ClGLoaL8z7yROpd-y7sYYoBKl9aL5Faf16ji7kwsSpuYtM073O-ZoEFN0Ef-U5EWivCOqs1LMlL5cFHgFzbKC/s1600/16facafc3dd418021937587c040561a0.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Knowing that Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen literally grew up in front of the TV, it is more than understandable that they have an extraordinary sense of fashion.  They are my all time favorites, I even have a full <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/BELLEVIVIR/" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a> dedicated to them because there is nobody else I love to emulate as much.  Their love for fashion and their popular street style called "bohemian-bourgeois" is admired and copied by many.  At the moment they have a few clothing lines, one for girls carried </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">by </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Walmart, </span><a href="http://www.elizabethandjames.us/" style="font-family: sans-serif;" target="_blank">Elizabeth and James</a><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">which is a more affordable line than their Couture Fashion label</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.therow.com/" style="font-family: sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Row</a><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;">.  Enjoy!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnKFxDpdIrQfMGhm6AnW1Uz87uTWcbPkn_KAyIiQZEwJE2_xNYwPK7VP8XpYyZ-921OAG7vC-bmuHPH0l-EseiFOlQbqwNvhyphenhyphenq-Ip_OecCS4e0x3TGd2OF08MYzEwFlRvnax-bF3iO72L/s1600/5e13aaaed2919e1870a010018627a828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnKFxDpdIrQfMGhm6AnW1Uz87uTWcbPkn_KAyIiQZEwJE2_xNYwPK7VP8XpYyZ-921OAG7vC-bmuHPH0l-EseiFOlQbqwNvhyphenhyphenq-Ip_OecCS4e0x3TGd2OF08MYzEwFlRvnax-bF3iO72L/s1600/5e13aaaed2919e1870a010018627a828.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1h2D_BIzd9fqQqpqCQ9nFyB2gMY_-QGLjRE51iVqj07UII094VxRqMJLA7MBNHUY914hfx0S61bDap8xIuJGwrIZoaryLRWogWaqht96b-AqhPP4wfXQlq7YUwhHSNw6ahe_ZL9eVeml/s1600/a7f2ca5d595003c6465d2281ace98452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1h2D_BIzd9fqQqpqCQ9nFyB2gMY_-QGLjRE51iVqj07UII094VxRqMJLA7MBNHUY914hfx0S61bDap8xIuJGwrIZoaryLRWogWaqht96b-AqhPP4wfXQlq7YUwhHSNw6ahe_ZL9eVeml/s1600/a7f2ca5d595003c6465d2281ace98452.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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font-family: sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">In 2008 The Olsen Twins published</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Mary-Kate-Olsen/dp/159514210X" target="_blank">Influence</a>,</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> a book with a compilation of interviews of the most influential people in the Fashion World. </span></div></div>

A lesson in Style: The Olsen Twins Fashion Style

Knowing that Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen literally grew up in front of the TV, it is more than understandable that they have an ...

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Swans: Legends of the Jet Society by Nicholas Foulkes

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3herK2mb1V8RV1HoKUD-REi4gPHPisRGFyKIQO4TuMdpGmP_UJeQOZScCoJf6j4zkBQjqG4O2s6S1KNjcvVMPc-sAJh-qpqL7DJzCXSut8ZQiuZtpa3B9LU9giFNnX0TtMaNo3pNBu_P/s1600/swans-+legends+of+the+het+society.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3herK2mb1V8RV1HoKUD-REi4gPHPisRGFyKIQO4TuMdpGmP_UJeQOZScCoJf6j4zkBQjqG4O2s6S1KNjcvVMPc-sAJh-qpqL7DJzCXSut8ZQiuZtpa3B9LU9giFNnX0TtMaNo3pNBu_P/s1600/swans-+legends+of+the+het+society.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swans-Legends-Society-Nick-Foulkes/dp/1614281289" target="_blank">Swan: Legends of the Jet Society</a> book gives us a glance into the aristocratic world of the privileged and jet setters.  Written by Nicholas Foulkes, the book is full of beautiful images and anecdotes detailing the luxurious lifestyle of an elite way of life.  Traveling in private jets and luxurious yachts, throwing decadent parties and wearing haute couture are some of the indulges we get to see in this book.  Clearly a must-have book to any chic library.   <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibINXXC6DtdJ74hSR887wS5B3C95OdIG2_zJYZ2UniDAGyoB5_tHlmWZNDpK2jIO8XKkNxavLZYGEPViaCufgIgUSUwoT-m0HWs_ihZtmxsKRIa4oIVE-frsnw0S1yBYeP0R6q4NT-2_Kw/s1600/imagegen-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibINXXC6DtdJ74hSR887wS5B3C95OdIG2_zJYZ2UniDAGyoB5_tHlmWZNDpK2jIO8XKkNxavLZYGEPViaCufgIgUSUwoT-m0HWs_ihZtmxsKRIa4oIVE-frsnw0S1yBYeP0R6q4NT-2_Kw/s1600/imagegen-1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNafzMmweVc7E3vTtHkD1mWkbJZidBx-CMre3iqO3kgx1by176VeLTtsQ43u_PdBk3IwW6eW4jnHH4ERFplsYULoSephGuVCaCHIDI43LGJdhO_ff5Z7HQ3skSa-RXY_7X8luFJrh9su0/s1600/Screen-shot-2013-11-14-at-4.45.05-PM-e1384469191334.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNafzMmweVc7E3vTtHkD1mWkbJZidBx-CMre3iqO3kgx1by176VeLTtsQ43u_PdBk3IwW6eW4jnHH4ERFplsYULoSephGuVCaCHIDI43LGJdhO_ff5Z7HQ3skSa-RXY_7X8luFJrh9su0/s1600/Screen-shot-2013-11-14-at-4.45.05-PM-e1384469191334.png" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjX33I-ovoAPrZN8tYeBfZy19nsfcba1oYiGiSZgziJyVZio_LQy1IOgX37DbzeKMglPBRUTYz1IydGOXA7jDm8AwBHfDRjUYXIAZyEWy-RbSd3ij9a_r81rFN4a0KfudoGyUPZL8ycL28/s1600/jacki+kennedy+swans+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="710" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjX33I-ovoAPrZN8tYeBfZy19nsfcba1oYiGiSZgziJyVZio_LQy1IOgX37DbzeKMglPBRUTYz1IydGOXA7jDm8AwBHfDRjUYXIAZyEWy-RbSd3ij9a_r81rFN4a0KfudoGyUPZL8ycL28/s1600/jacki+kennedy+swans+book.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuifKLrdrl9Fhs3X07F1R4rGee_1sgMDXBGkrie-kBD9kSvdgbMz5O-IHYy9U4SX8ucRivprT_0uSqPd1od3waoLQDiqVlcdKLS3iv-C_CVr4XMeA97NyTJx_qYJvgfQE1p-e6-cRDOqJ/s1600/swans+legends+of+the+jet+society.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuifKLrdrl9Fhs3X07F1R4rGee_1sgMDXBGkrie-kBD9kSvdgbMz5O-IHYy9U4SX8ucRivprT_0uSqPd1od3waoLQDiqVlcdKLS3iv-C_CVr4XMeA97NyTJx_qYJvgfQE1p-e6-cRDOqJ/s1600/swans+legends+of+the+jet+society.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;">Images via <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2013/09/21/swans-legends-of-the-jet-society-photos.html" target="_blank">The Daily Beast</a></div></div>

Swans: Legends of the Jet Society by Nicholas Foulkes

Swan: Legends of the Jet Society book gives us a glance into the aristocratic world of the privileged and jet setters.  Written by Nichola...

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Every home should have: Books

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRtKFsYMiqn9GnjB1ZU2e0zAvprX26T-g7wUkKgilbV9Uz3rrvgm0o6aXuNfgyfRpXd-LxRzKnlwESbZK1mkeypbDD780gs28549vKzaXeyVdtmyzmRUGH9Z-8lCdEO1vr3DHRl-2nC2b/s1600/9c7899b2fc3e150de3bc9e2052d46928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRtKFsYMiqn9GnjB1ZU2e0zAvprX26T-g7wUkKgilbV9Uz3rrvgm0o6aXuNfgyfRpXd-LxRzKnlwESbZK1mkeypbDD780gs28549vKzaXeyVdtmyzmRUGH9Z-8lCdEO1vr3DHRl-2nC2b/s400/9c7899b2fc3e150de3bc9e2052d46928.jpg" width="389" /></a></div>There is only a handful of things that would make a house become a home other than books.  It lends the house a life and intimacy of its own.  The thing I miss the most from our previous home is our beautiful black bookcases filled with books and magazines ranging from different subjects that covered everything from Design, History, Bestsellers to even fun books like "How to be like Audrey".  They have this magical touch that makes them look good in any type of display either piled up on the floor, on top of a table, or in bookcases. Yes, every home should have books.  Enjoy!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HXo4AgiESTxik9Jn72I61gE4g2De8Idavl-FmUK1QLV1i0KLdi70fZekgHZJVaySWon7hLSfl1v8B3A3CBDSe-4WlzoVMxSae3vv_Ml98j2opWHScCgcxD3bikNwSeYiv9TWBo10kmg9/s1600/ea04377d0932425d9b4c8eb6a48e6784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HXo4AgiESTxik9Jn72I61gE4g2De8Idavl-FmUK1QLV1i0KLdi70fZekgHZJVaySWon7hLSfl1v8B3A3CBDSe-4WlzoVMxSae3vv_Ml98j2opWHScCgcxD3bikNwSeYiv9TWBo10kmg9/s400/ea04377d0932425d9b4c8eb6a48e6784.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxIF-ihfWTy9R0J3slFdEg0I7xmWyieHVW6VoA-T-89zUTgZfB34sum4UFtrHPzYpsJ7loCyafRBc1O_JgydLmQ5BrPaLGmgIEeB24riPKUOIjIptBvtrPeqHJCjHpI209Nlw51XWqY2M/s1600/188264dd32f099b655cbbc86724d6ff8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxIF-ihfWTy9R0J3slFdEg0I7xmWyieHVW6VoA-T-89zUTgZfB34sum4UFtrHPzYpsJ7loCyafRBc1O_JgydLmQ5BrPaLGmgIEeB24riPKUOIjIptBvtrPeqHJCjHpI209Nlw51XWqY2M/s400/188264dd32f099b655cbbc86724d6ff8.jpg" width="467" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6q66AIKv30UYv8S7e3_bP8Np9EkFx345PYXex3sm05c6q9FWBkxGOOf9T8X_-JUBGFb8XhgW1iYCGDFZdPswFgyd3f0Obnly52ftzsvGfbHipKh3FcFL2jEGYBCKxS8mJs_kvP2b_Yjo/s1600/ac95fa40aa9d3ce785eb5d26033a8e6b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6q66AIKv30UYv8S7e3_bP8Np9EkFx345PYXex3sm05c6q9FWBkxGOOf9T8X_-JUBGFb8XhgW1iYCGDFZdPswFgyd3f0Obnly52ftzsvGfbHipKh3FcFL2jEGYBCKxS8mJs_kvP2b_Yjo/s400/ac95fa40aa9d3ce785eb5d26033a8e6b.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2-AGzJcC36DLplEmrBOL6q0S8ooVha_ygnLjUbB_Z9gVfImfynLBjR7TrDGGRBFawfTyHP91gH4CNEuo04bXcSjxcUJebPcK26OHuj4c1DfAsRzs1M4AOzzp4Atqd6SK7WgaNIrtpeo3/s1600/668aef47c54bd9f1150bd128ad4cf351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2-AGzJcC36DLplEmrBOL6q0S8ooVha_ygnLjUbB_Z9gVfImfynLBjR7TrDGGRBFawfTyHP91gH4CNEuo04bXcSjxcUJebPcK26OHuj4c1DfAsRzs1M4AOzzp4Atqd6SK7WgaNIrtpeo3/s400/668aef47c54bd9f1150bd128ad4cf351.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_alm6F3XXpksl4brhYf01iu228S9bM_FWOsqECFHB3cF1CPcm9aL_lbH2ujFxIChBVIQHBKXcO_rMnBERvcKniJ1KlAucy6m1Xak1vgCfmA4NcMj0Qu_7nfJL4WxRbyRffHqq42CZ6Pl/s1600/c434acd20c0ac81712b2aed1d5f60df9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_alm6F3XXpksl4brhYf01iu228S9bM_FWOsqECFHB3cF1CPcm9aL_lbH2ujFxIChBVIQHBKXcO_rMnBERvcKniJ1KlAucy6m1Xak1vgCfmA4NcMj0Qu_7nfJL4WxRbyRffHqq42CZ6Pl/s400/c434acd20c0ac81712b2aed1d5f60df9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoe3mXHEInZcKFkXt5QleyyFKhMi1B_cbC_FzOzhRSyhoUtt1oSPKhPsmEOkwjccGSENEF5FUGUUJjb1IYylrko7U0EnTbSYw6KwL7Zq3CmxOIzc6BfCGfY6fOC2Pl8U-wvArraYWAIcBi/s1600/e98eb5a44eb0ad5b4368ad455c5dfb40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoe3mXHEInZcKFkXt5QleyyFKhMi1B_cbC_FzOzhRSyhoUtt1oSPKhPsmEOkwjccGSENEF5FUGUUJjb1IYylrko7U0EnTbSYw6KwL7Zq3CmxOIzc6BfCGfY6fOC2Pl8U-wvArraYWAIcBi/s400/e98eb5a44eb0ad5b4368ad455c5dfb40.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Images from AD, HB, Elle Decor.</span></div>

Every home should have: Books

There is only a handful of things that would make a house become a home other than books.  It lends the house a life and intimacy of its own...

Read more »

Some suggestions for the AIA on saving the profession of Architecture

<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In 1857, 13 Architects got together and founded what is now known as the American Institute of Architects, or the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">AIA</span>. The group had two main goals which were to educate their members in the science and art of Architecture and to elevate the status of the profession. Fast forward 152 years, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">AIA</span> has become an organization that has over 200 employees and 83,000 members. And while it is no longer a grass roots movement, many would argue that the organization is irrelevant and out of touch. Having worked among <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">AIA</span> members for the last fifteen years, I would constantly inquire about the advantages of membership. The conversations would go something like this:</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#ffff66;">Me:</span> Do you get special <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">privileges</span> that Registered Architects can't get?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">AIA</span>-Member: No.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Me:</span> Is it affordable</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">AIA</span>-Member: No.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Me:</span> Do you get better deals on books and stuff?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">AIA</span>-Member: No.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Me:</span> Do the other members help you out if you're in a bind?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">AIA</span>-Member: No.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Me:</span> Do they get you work?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">AIA</span>-Member: They have a section on their web site where my name is listed, but other than that, not really.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Me:</span> Do you go to any local meetings?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">AIA</span>-Member: No. They're too boring and nothing ever happens.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Me:</span> Can you charge more for your time because you are in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">AIA</span>?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">AIA</span>-Member: No. In fact, I just lost a job to another <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">AIA</span> Architect who undercut my fee by 25%.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Me:</span> Wow. So what are the advantages of being in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">AIA</span>?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">AIA</span>-Member: I get to put the letters "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">AIA</span>" after my name. Basically that's it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Now I should say that the people that I know in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">AIA</span> are small practitioners. This is their experience. It may be different if you go higher up the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">AIA</span> food chain. Maybe those Architects actually help each other get work or maybe they have the power to get things done. If they do, I haven't heard about it. What I have heard is how disgruntled Architects are about the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">AIA</span> and how most people I know wouldn't even be members if their company didn't pay the registration fees for them. Those fees by the way, include membership at the National, State, and Local levels. Every branch gets a piece and it gets expensive. They do give you a $37 annual subscription to Architectural Record, so I guess that's something.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">In 2006, I attended a conference sponsored by Residential Architect Magazine in San Diego. The conference attracted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">alot</span> of attendees and was generally very successful. At a portion of the conference, we broke up into groups and got to have lunch with different groups of people for lunch. In our group were some national <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">AIA</span> officers who confessed that they had come to the conference to try and attract smaller firms to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">AIA</span>. In their research, they had found that small firms (under 10 people) and sole practitioners represented a very small percentage of their membership. They asked us if anyone at the table was a member. Not one person was. They asked us how they could make it more attractive for people like us to join? Needless to say, the lunch wasn't long enough to give everyone a chance to speak. Almost three years later, I see that they have taken none of the suggestions to heart. That being that case, I wanted to put the ideas out there again in the hopes that maybe someone will find these suggestions and bring them up at a meeting. So here they are, in no particular order:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>1. Your web site, your marketing, and all of your promotional campaigns are terrible.</strong> You people are supposed to be representing Great Design. Your web site looks like a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Pharmaceutical</span> company's web site. You can't even find how much it costs to join. On the application, it says "please call for local and state rates". When you try to search for an Architect on your web site, it does it by zip code alphabetically. I'd hate to have a name that started with a W or a Z. How about filters for type of work and size of firm? Lastly, your print ads depict Architects as family psychologists instead of Great Designers. Whoever came up with that campaign should be fired. I did hear an ad recently on AM radio though. Way to elevate the profession.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>2. Stop trying to keep people OUT of the profession. </strong>In recent years, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">AIA</span> has spent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">alot</span> of time and money lobbying for tighter regulations on who can officially call themselves an "Architect". Apparently, they now own the word and can sue anyone who tries to call themselves an Architect without the proper credentials. I think you have all forgotten who does the 'heavy lifting'. You know those recent graduates who work 90 hours a week when all of the "Architects" have gone home? Instead of trying to prevent them from putting "Project Architect" on their resume, why don't you try to give people more incentive to become an Architect? Better pay for Registered Architects would be a good start. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>3. Lobby for Laws that make sense and help Architects.</strong> Almost everyone I know has renovated their house in some way. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">HGTV</span> and big box stores have empowered homeowners to bust apart their houses and get dirty. If you are building a home from the ground up, most states don't even require an Architect's involvement which is evident by cookie cutter developments cropping up all over our country. Perhaps if there was legislation to require that Architects be involved at a Residential scale, there would be more work available for Architects and the overall quality of Residential Design in this country would improve. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>4. Don't let EVERYONE join.</strong> I'm sure there was a time when being a member carried some exclusivity along with it. Not any more. Every time a new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">EIFS</span> clad drug store or bank gets built in my neighborhood, it usually bears the seal of an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">AIA</span> member. Shouldn't the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">AIA</span> be endorsing great design? For all of your 83,000 members, how many actually build buildings that adhere to the principles of true Architecture? If you want good architects to join (the ones who will really be a credit to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">AIA</span> and attract new members) you have to understand that they don't want to be lumped in with bad architects. Recently, an Architect that I admire (who is actually FAIA- very high up on the AIA food chain) told me that if he had to do it over again, he wouldn't even join. How's that for an endorsement. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>5. If you can't do any of the above, can you at least get a deal on some books? </strong>Architects love books (as do non Architects, and pretty much every Designer I know). With 83,000 members and millions more interested in Architecture books, you would think maybe the largest professional Architecture organization in the US could at least help bring down the cost of publications to its members, right? Wrong. I went to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">AIA</span> website to check out some deals on 'Publications'. Even those which are published by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">AIA</span> are still 10-20% cheaper on Amazon. How is that possible? If I were spending $1,000 on membership, couldn't you at least give me some deals on a book that you publish? It's just absurd to think that in a world where you can compare prices of everything from your phone, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">AIA</span> can't find a way to deliver educational materials to their members at a reasonable cost. And don't even get me started on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">AIA</span> Documents.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">In conclusion, I hope that there is someone out there who can talk some sense into the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">AIA</span>. I would recommend starting with a frank conversation with the current members to determine what value (if any) membership still has. From what I have seen in the last year, the profession has taken a serious hit from the economy and shows no signs of a quick recovery. I think people and companies will be taking a long hard look at what those three letters are worth on a business card. </span>

Some suggestions for the AIA on saving the profession of Architecture

In 1857, 13 Architects got together and founded what is now known as the American Institute of Architects, or the AIA . The group had two ma...

Read more »