Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, elected 2015 AIA President

Delegates to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) national convention in Denver elected Elizabeth Chu Richter (AIA Corpus Christi) to serve as the 2014 AIA first vice president/president-elect and 2015 AIA president. James Easton Rains, Jr., FAIA, and Thomas V. Vonier, FAIA, will each serve as vice president from 2014 through 2015; and James P. Grounds, AIA, as the Institute’s Treasurer from 2014 through 2015.

Currently a member of the AIA National Board of Directors representing Texas, Richter was president of the Texas Society of Architects in 2007. With the National AIA component, she has taken a strong interest in rewarding design excellence, serving on design juries, as chair of the AIA Gold Medal and Firm Award Advisory jury, a member of the AIA Regional and Urban Design Award jury, and multiple AIA component design awards juries. Her own design contributions were recognized in 2001, when she received an AIA Young Architects Award.

Richter is the CEO of Richter Architects in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her firm offers a wide variety of master planning, programming, design, interior design, construction documents, construction administration, and construction management services. Richter Architects received the 2011 Texas Society of Architects Firm Award.

“I’m hoping that my leadership will help bring the AIA into a more member-focused future, building greater public engagement and understanding, while also refining the Institute’s leadership structure and operation focus, said Richter. “More than ever, the repositioned AIA will be highly valued and globally relevant in its service to society in building a better world.”

James Easton Rains, Jr., FAIA Elected 2014-15 AIA Vice President

Mr. Rains Jr., FAIA, from AIA North Carolina, was elected 2014-2015 AIA Vice President at the AIA National Convention in Denver. Rains was the president of AIA Wilmington in 1996, president of AIA North Carolina in 2006, and became a member of the AIA National Board of Directors in 2010. In 2011, he helped lead the AIA’s national advocacy efforts by chairing the ArchiPAC Steering Committee, which guides the AIA’s bipartisan political action committee.

Thomas V. Vonier, FAIA Elected 2014-15 AIA Vice President

Mr. Vonier, FAIA, from AIA Continental Europe, was elected 2014-2015 AIA Vice President at the AIA National Convention in Denver. The founder and past president of AIA Continental Europe from 1994 to 1995, Vonier served on the AIA Board of Directors representing the AIA International Region from 2010-2012.

John P. Grounds, AIA, Elected 2014-15 AIA Treasurer

Grounds, AIA, from AIA D.C., was elected 2014-2015 AIA Treasurer at the AIA National Convention in Denver. Grounds began his involvement in AIA leadership in California, where he was AIA San Fernando Valley’s president in 2002. With AIA California Council, he became the co-chair for its planning and finance committee from 2006-2008, and eventually its president in 2009. After relocating to Washington, D.C., Grounds continued serving the Institute with financial management leadership as a member of the finance and audit committee from 2010 to 2012 while he was a regional director on the AIA National Board.

About The American Institute of Architects

Founded in 1857, members of the American Institute of Architects consistently work to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public well being. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders, and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

More than 295 U.S. architecture and architecture-engineering (AE) firms participated in BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 survey. As part of the Giants survey process, participating firms are asked to describe their most impactful firm innovations and noteworthy company moves in the past 12 months. Here is a collection of the most compelling business and project innovations and business moves from the 2022 Architecture Giants.

Giants 400 | Nov 9, 2022

Top 30 Data Center Architecture + AE Firms for 2022

HDR, Corgan, Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects, and Gensler top the ranking of the nation's largest data center architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Top 75 Sports Facility Engineering and EA Firms for 2022 chris-chow-yPgmYU1aZvE-unsplash

Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022

Top 110 Sports Facility Architecture and AE Firms for 2022

Populous, HOK, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

More cities track the performance of buildings as a way to lower their carbon emissions.

Industry Research | Nov 8, 2022

U.S. metros take the lead in decarbonizing their built environments

A new JLL report evaluates the goals and actions of 18 cities.

Hotel designs feel more like homes these days Hotel design trends for 2022 *Lake_Nona_Town_Center_Wave_Hotel

Hotel Facilities | Nov 8, 2022

6 hotel design trends for 2022-2023

Personalization of the hotel guest experience shapes new construction and renovation, say architects and construction experts in this sector.

Green | Nov 8, 2022

USGBC and IWBI will develop dual certification pathways for LEED and WELL

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) will expand their strategic partnership to develop dual certification pathways for LEED and WELL.

Reconstruction & Renovation | Nov 8, 2022

Renovation work outpaces new construction for first time in two decades

Renovations of older buildings in U.S. cities recently hit a record high as reflected in architecture firm billings, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Steel structures offer faster path to climate benefits

Faster delivery of buildings isn’t always associated with sustainability benefits or long-term value, but things are changing. An instructive case is in the development of steel structures that not only allow speedier erection times, but also can reduce embodied carbon and create durable, highly resilient building approaches.

Building Team | Nov 7, 2022

U.S. commercial buildings decreased energy use intensity from 2012 to 2018

The recently released 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) by the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that the total floorspace in commercial buildings has increased but energy consumption has not, compared with the last survey analyzing the landscape in 2012.

Buffalo Bills new stadium, 2022, architect Populous, Bowl View

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Nov 7, 2022

Gilbane, Turner, Populous tapped to design and build new Buffalo Bills stadium

The joint venture of Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction Company, in association with 34 Group, has been selected to provide construction management of the planned new NFL stadium for the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. The project team also includes the project management firm, Legends Project Development, and Populous as the designer.

Currently Reading

Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, elected 2015 AIA President

Tags

Architects | Nov 10, 2022

Giants 400 | Nov 9, 2022

Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022

Industry Research | Nov 8, 2022

Hotel Facilities | Nov 8, 2022

Green | Nov 8, 2022

Reconstruction & Renovation | Nov 8, 2022

Sponsored | Steel Buildings | Nov 7, 2022

Building Team | Nov 7, 2022

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Nov 7, 2022

Most Popular Content

Magazine Subscription

Get our Newsletters

Follow BD+C: