Summary: At AIA Seattle 2004, progress continues in the AIA's sixth largest component toward manifesting the vision of Plan 2010. We have seen growth in individual and corporate membership in all categories, in the number and variety of programs serving the breadth of professional interests within the membership constituencies, as well as in participation and supporting resource.

We look ahead with considerable optimism to the 111th Birthday AIA in Seattle and Washington on August 4, 2005, when we join forces with our academic, organizational, and AIA component counterparts in design and building disciplines to share our understanding of "Knowledge by Design."

Membership Connection/Communication
Implement 'Member-friendly' programs for corporate partnerships ('firm memberships') for architecture and related businesses; incorporate business into expanded programs of professional action/advocacy, learning, and interdisciplinary social events; mobilize partnerships for support and participation in all programs.

Guided by a business plan to assist activating the connection with Member Firms and Corporate Allied Partners, AIA Seattle programs have integrated sponsorship correlated to content of seminars and workshops, with solid participation by the Board of Directors. Grant support from the AIA national Membership Initiative spurred reform of the Member Firm benefits package, launched in Fall 2003 - and resulting in 218 Member Firm listings in the AIA Seattle 2004 Firm ProFile.

Liaison with allied disciplines grows in importance and participation, through the annual Exchange among Allies 3/17/04, and also in the potential for new synergies around legislative initiatives (e.g. regulation of interior designers) in the 2004 session, and anticipated in 2005. The year saw significant growth in new individual membership, especially in the Associate AIA category, and continued growth (to 88%) in the rate of retention, effectively supported by AIA national efforts.

The occasion of the 109th Birthday Party/Rooftop Picnic 8/4/03 stands out as particularly festive collegial gathering, as well as the Holiday Gathering 12/10/03 with recipients of 2003 Honor Awards for Washington Architecture.

Professional Development
Manifest a culture of shared learning with a clear structure for information and service flow among various membership constituencies; anticipate and promote continuing education requirement for licensure.

This year AIA Seattle scheduled and delivered several successful programs using a new "eventology," incorporating Continuing Education events into awards programs and business - e.g. Design Excellence Conference with the Honor Awards for Washington Architecture 11/03, a Residential Design Forum with Seattle Times/AIA Home of the Year 3/04, Both/And with the Annual Meeting 5/04, and Housing the Northwest/Going to Market slated for 6/04. For the first time in 2003, revenues from professional development programs exceeded dues receipts - while retaining accessible pricing and a breadth of learning opportunities for AIA Seattle Members – while also attracting speakers of international renown and an increasing number of registrants from related disciplines and from throughout Washington and the Northwest. CE-based events also included 'In the Details' in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver BC 10/03.

Several committees deserve special recognition for their effort to produce special events: e.g. the Continuing Education Committee for the well-attended Medical Forum 2/26-27/04; the Committee on the Environment for What Makes It GREEN?/GreenWorldT 4/1/04 with keynote speakers Dr. David Suzuki and Denis Hayes, and an ongoing program of case study presentations; the Historic Resources Committee for Both/And; the Codes Committee for a well-attended series addressing the newly-applied IBC; and the Practice/Ethics Committee, which hosted two Design Ethics Forums on current topics related to dispute resolution and design professional licensure. The twice-annual ARE Prep Series continues to draw registrants in the quest for licensure.

In a special achievement, a pledge from the AIA Seattle Board of Directors challenged the Diversity Roundtable to complete the campaign, initiated in 2001, to endow a second scholarship for students from diverse backgrounds at the University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning – utilizing the festive mechanism of the Summer Solstice Sequence, in its 7th annual iteration June 2004.

Visibility/Community Connection/Advocacy
Expand recognition opportunities to include a broader range of design leadership and achievement; build on success in outreach to residential clients to maximize public and client outreach for other project types; extend value of awards/recognition through public/media dialog, study groups, interdisciplinary connection, and other learning activities.

The Seattle Times/AIA Open House program observed the 50th anniversary of its 1954 inception, with retrospectives published in the Times and a Home of the Year observance 3/12/04 heightened by the presentation of the popular author Sarah Susanka AIA – and beginning in June 2004 embarked on a course of change with Times partners. The Honor Awards program culminating November 10, 2003, though slightly handicapped by the last-minute cancellation of one of the jurors, nevertheless brought forward a large and creditable sample of recent design thought and result, in "Idea/REALIZED," drawing some 750 attendees to the Monday evening jury discussion at the newly-opened McCaw Hall. The AIA Seattle Saturday Seminar program, the AIA Seattle booth at the Seattle Home Show, and "Homebuilding 201" attracted and educated perhaps thousands of clients and potential clients. The AIA Journal of Architecture April 2004 spotlighted AIA Seattle's client outreach programs.

In the November 2003 elections, four AIA Seattle Members stood as candidates for office in communities throughout the greater Puget Sound region. They provided interviews for AIA Seattle publication, and met with the Board of Directors for a Membership Meeting October 15.

Relationships/Component Interaction
Take a long view to organizational business planning and balance of mission elements; maximize the membership investment through organizational efficiency involving all AIA components; engage design organization partnerships in shared action.

A large delegation of AIA Seattle folks will attend AIA Convention June 10-12 in Chicago, where activities included celebration of AIA national Honor Awards to Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen, and NBBJ, AIA Top Ten Green Award to Miller|Hull, and the advancement of five AIA Seattle nominees to the AIA College of Fellows: Karen Braitmayer FAIA, Bill Karst FAIA, Tom Kundig FAIA, Sheri Olson FAIA, and Norman Strong FAIA. At the Honors Gala June 26, 2004, the design and building community celebrates AIA Seattle 2004 Honors: the 2004 AIA Seattle Medal to John F. Nesholm FAIA, AIA Seattle Honorary Members Debbi & Paul Brainerd, Robert Filley (posthumous), Tomio Moriguchi and Jon & Judith Runstad; the Allied Organization Award to U.S. Green Building Council Cascadia Chapter; and the Community Service Award to Mel Streeter AIA; and a Special Citation to the University of Washington Architecture-Urban Planning Library. AIA 2004 President-elect Douglas Steidl FAIA will help 'bring home the medals' for national honorees.

Future Building:
* Planning for the observance of the 111th anniversary of AIA in Seattle and Washington focuses on a conference, "Knowledge by Design," slated for August 4-6, 2005 - and aiming toward the 2007 celebration of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of The American Institute of Architects. As planned, this event will draw together education and practice leaders in a series of programs to develop synergies in teaching and learning from case studies in design and management. A grant from the AIA Knowledge Fund supports the development of the program, particularly its distance learning aspects.
* "1911 (First Avenue): A Space Oddity." Anticipating the 2007 likely end of tenancy at the streetfront offices occupied since 1981, AIA Seattle commissioned the Young Architects Forum to prepare a design for the remodel of the facility, with construction scheduled for July-August 2004.

Board of Directors:
Kristen M. Scott AIA, President
Peter David Greaves AIA, 1st VP/President-Elect
Sue Partridge AIA, Secretary
Teresa Rodriguez AIA, Treasurer
Ben Gist Associate AIA, Special Director
Clarence C. Kwan AIA, Special Director
Donald I. King FAIA, Director
Brian Carter AIA, Director
Tim Jewett AIA, Director
John Bierly AIA, Director
Nancy Callery, AIA Director
Thomas V. Lawrence, AIA Director
Rena M. Klein AIA, Past President/Director
Marga Rose Hancock Hon. AIA, EVP
Advisory Members
Roger Anderson
Gail Dubrow (to 3/04)
Alan Merkle, Esq.
Barbara Swift ASLA
Jay Taylor