Searl, Osmond, Landmarks Illinois Recognized with 2018 Service Awards

The AIA Illinois Board of Directors is thrilled to announce three recipients of the AIA Illinois Service Awards who will be honored at a ceremony on January 30 at the Chicago Architecture Center.

Linda Searl, FAIA, AIA Illinois 2018 Gold Medal recipient

Linda Searl, FAIA, has steadfastly guided the evolution of Chicago’s built environment for more than twenty-five years, all the while churning out a consistently beautiful body of work and managing a successful practice at Searl Lamaster Howe. The AIA Illinois Board of Directors is pleased to announce that for carrying the banner of architecture and design for countless projects, developments and initiatives, Linda Searl is the 2018 recipient of the Gold Medal, Illinois' highest honor for outstanding lifetime service by an AIA member. Linda has been much in the fray, fighting for good design, yet her reputation is of quiet selflessness.

“When you look at her resume, she’s done everything, and everything extremely well,” says John Syvertsen, FAIA, long-time collaborator with Linda in local volunteer initiatives. “Linda has been one of the most exemplary professionals that I’ve ever known in terms of level of service to the profession and the built environment.”

Linda served as chair of the Chicago Planning Commission from 2003 to 2012, often the lone architect’s voice. She continues to serve as a member. In fact, Linda has the reputation for always leaning in, whether it’s the rough and tumble world of the Planning Commission or the informal group of architects she helped assemble to problem-solve with Commissioners behind-the-scenes, called the Chicago Design Initiative. “Linda can tap the right people, whether it’s to come to one meeting or to take on a six-month process,” says Syvertsen. Read more

RICHARD NICKEL AWARD - LYNN OSMOND, CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER

Lynn Osmond, Hon. AIA

The opening of the new Chicago Architecture Center, in the planning for over a decade, made quite an impact this year and can be considered the crowning achievement of CAC President & CEO Lynn Osmond's career thus far.

CAC’s tagline is “to inspire people to discover why design matters” – and in her 20+ years at the helm of the organization, Lynn has paved the way for the growth of “architectural tourism” around the globe.

Nominators dare you to find someone else who epitomizes AIA Illinois’ Richard Nickel Award—recognizing a (non-architect) citizen who lifts up architecture and the profession—more than Lynn Osmond, Hon. AIA. Read more

PRESIDENT'S AWARD – LANDMARKS ILLINOIS

The staff of Landmarks Illinois

The old adage, “There is strength in numbers,” always applies in the world of advocacy. Kim Kurtenbach, 2018 AIA Illinois Board President, is pleased to recognize the decade-long partnership between AIA Illinois and Landmarks Illinois that culminated in the passage of a historic tax credit bill this past year, by bestowing the 2018 President’s Award on Landmarks Illinois.

Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based nonprofit organization that inspires and empowers stakeholders to save Illinois places that matter to them. It was founded in 1971 by a handful of dedicated preservationists engaged in the struggle to save the Chicago Stock Exchange Building designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler. Read more

The Architectural Legacy of Illinois' First 200 Years

Illinois could use a reminder of what we are capable of and gives us something to look forward to. The bicentennial birthday of December 3, 2018 is the perfect occasion to find perspective and purpose. From an architectural point of view, there’s a lot to be proud of, because some of the world’s greatest projects and the people who designed them are rooted here.

Architecture practice as we know it today was first written into law by the state legislature in 1897. Illinois is where world renowned architects Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Burnham, Mies van der Rohe and Buckminster Fuller lived and produced their best work. Chicago firms like Holabird and Root, Perkins and Will, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill grew to have a global presence from a handful of founding partners.

“We have so much to be proud of in Illinois,” notes Bonnie McDonald, president and CEO of Landmarks Illinois, a statewide nonprofit preservation organization. “The Bicentennial is an opportunity to spotlight the extraordinary achievements made in architecture, the arts, and history by generations of people in this state. We are world class in so many ways that can be celebrated.”

From past to present, there’s an incredible Illinois legacy of impact on the built environment. Abraham Lincoln said, “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” As we close out the year-long bicentennial celebration, we will be taking stock of projects we are most proud of and the people whose work makes their communities proud of them.

To celebrate 200 years of statehood, we gathered architects, historians and community leaders to identify 200 great places. We encourage you to see those selections at Illinoisgreatplaces.com. The point isn’t to simply remember where we’ve been, but to shape where we want to go.

According to President of the American Institute of Architects, Carl Elefante, “You can’t imagine the modern American city without the influence of Chicago. What started with the Columbian Exposition showcasing the vision of architects for the 20th century turned into the 'city beautiful' movement. We are living in a moment when the challenges of a new century require an even bigger movement and a more comprehensive vision. Putting the well-being of people first, our cities must more than beautiful; they must also be sustainable, resilient, equitable, affordable and accessible.”

The architecture profession in Illinois today is broad, diverse and strong. Today’s projects are every bit as innovative and exciting as their predecessors. Over 5,600 architects work in 1,000 firms of all sizes. They are currently designing 45 million square feet of space with a value exceeding $14 billion. And their work is influenced by what we ask of them.

According to Thomas Vonier, President of the International Union of Architects, “The way we build reflects our values as a culture. If we invest for the long term, and for durability, that is reflected in the cities and towns around us. They show our faith in the future.”

In every town from the top of the state to the bottom, AIA is asking “What will be our blueprint for better? What makes our communities vibrant and attainable?” That’s the agenda for the 21st century and we hope you will ask those questions too.

When you find buildings that elevate the community, thank the architect, engineer, builder and developer who brought them to life along with the maintenance and custodial staff who keep them vibrant. If you can’t find examples, then let’s encourage mayors, planners, realtors and investors to raise the standard. That’s the only way to keep building places worthy of remembering at the next centennial.

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Did you know that Illinois is where you could find the:

First graduate of an architecture school in the United States: Nathan Clifford Ricker from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1873.

First woman graduate of an architecture school: Mary Louisa Page from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1879.

First African-American graduate of an architecture school: Walter T. Bailey from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1904.

First African-American woman licensed as an architect in the United States: Beverly Greene in 1942.

Most ambitious company town: Pullman named for the railroad car magnate who developed 4,000 acres on the south side of Chicago in 1880.

First skyscraper: the Home Insurance Building by William Le Baron Jenney who pioneered a steel frame in 1884.

Tallest load-bearing brick building in the world: the Monadnock Building by Burnham and Root in 1891.

First Architecture Practice Act, licensing board and examination process: passed by the Illinois Legislature in 1897. The first licensed architect anywhere was a state representative named Charles Nothnagel who had worked for Louis Sullivan.

Founder of American architecture: Louis Sullivan who turned America’s attention away from classical European styles at the dawning of a new century with the motto of “form follows function.”

Creator of the Prairie School: Frank Lloyd Wright who formed his own firm in 1893 and went on to design iconic houses and offices around the world, making Illinois home to more Wright masterpieces than any other state.

Comprehensive requirements for safer building exits: fire codes were reformed nationwide after the Iroquois Theater fire of 1903.

Most popular mail order homes: over 70,000 sold by Sears Roebuck and Company between 1908 and 1940.

Father of modern city planning: Daniel Burnham who authored the 1909 Plan of Chicago and urged citizens to, “make no little plans.”

The largest commercial building in the world: All 4 million square feet of The Merchandise Mart, erected in 1930.

Leader of the International Style: Mies van der Rohe who came to America from Germany in 1937 to head the architecture school at the Illinois Institute of Technology and whose modern designs represented the concept of “less is more”.

Prolific architect-inventor R. Buckminster Fuller who came to Carbondale in 1956 to teach architecture at Southern Illinois University.

First use of a bundled tube structure: Sears Tower which held the record for world’s tallest building for 25 years starting in 1973.

First building code for accessibility: The Illinois Environmental Barriers Act of 1985 was a precursor to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act five years later.

First state to promote the 2030 Challenge: The Illinois General Assembly set a goal to make new buildings carbon-neutral by 2030, via legislation in 2007, and followed it up with early adoption of energy-efficient codes and measurement tools.

We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.

By Steven A. Andersson, Retiring State Representative for Illinois' 65th District

The above quote is by R. Buckminster Fuller. While he may not have meant it as I use it here, it speaks to what the role of citizen architects can and should be in government. You, as architects, have an important and unique voice that needs to be heard to promote the health, safety and well-being of our built environment. Legislators come from varied backgrounds and may have little to no knowledge beyond the average individuals about architecture, construction, codes and all the things important to you. In order to get the outcome you want, you will need to influence the process through outreach, education, and guidance.

Here are my top ten bits of advice:

1) Find a hero. This is a legislator who you know supports your cause. It doesn’t need to be the legislator who represents your district. Connect with this person and build a relationship. Make sure you tell them how much you appreciate their support and ask how you can help them help you. They will often times tell you of other legislators that might support your position but need help getting to “yes.” Reach out to those persons addressing their particular concerns. Offer some unique knowledge about the issue for that individual legislator. This will make your talk more effective and successful. And of course, keep in touch with your hero about feedback you might have gotten. And say thank you. A lot!

2) Have a point. Legislators are trying to juggle a hundred different issues at anyone time. It’s best if you have a specific bill that you need action on, rather than a generalized message (ex: support architects). If you go with a generalized message, they will, of course say yes to that concept, but that will be the end of it. A specific bill is something he/she/they can concretely deal with.

3) Support legislators who support your cause through money or volunteering. Make sure they are re-elected so that they can continue to vote your way. Being in the legislature means raising money and finding volunteers. You, as an individual architect can aid their cause more effectively if you give your own money or volunteer for individual candidates. Volunteers are often hard to come by. Give an hour or two of your time to collect signatures, knock on doors or walk in a parade. It’s also a great way to get to know them and develop that personal relationship. Volunteering is a sure way to do it!

4) Meet your own legislator in their district office regularly. They will have more time to devote to you than in Springfield. Don’t get me wrong, the visits to the Capitol are important, but familiarity is best at home. And if you become a familiar face (even if they don’t agree with your cause), it gets tough to just ignore your requests. You can wear down their resistance through effort!

5) Hand write letters to the legislators you want to influence. We get thousands of emails. Most using a form letter from a given group. Form letters get counted, a handwritten note gets noticed and read. Articulate your position in your own way. You never know what will impact a legislator’s mind. Also, don’t forget to write thank you notes when they support you!

6) Be polite. This one should be obvious. Even when you clearly disagree, kindness, civility and respect go further than anything else.

7) Listen and learn. There might be more to the “no” answer you get than meets the eye. Newer legislators often don’t know what the implications of bills will be (if it’s outside their field of expertise – which will be most things at first). Their no, may mean that they only need to learn more. Teach the legislators about your world. It may interest them enough to become more open to your specific issue. When you meet them, tell them why architecture is your passion. Use your passion to flame their desire to help you! This is also where your hero comes in. Perhaps ask your hero what they think is the problem and to reach out to the “new” legislator, to see if they can help. Again, this can a) help your cause and b) develop relationships between legislators. If you help foster that, you will be remembered with favor.

9) Avoid being partisan. You probably have particular political leaning. But if you hope to get more than one party’s vote, don’t always have it on display. Look for opportunities to support legislators on both sides of the aisle. It will give you credibility in the long run.

10) Participate with the AIA. Your association staff are the professionals on lobbying. They can help you seek out the help you need to get the background on the issues and the players of the bill you want to advocate for or against. Use them!

My time in the Illinois legislature is coming to a close in January of 2019. It has been an incredible opportunity to serve our State, and I am honored and humbled to have served in this position. I would also offer an observation on the upcoming 101st General Assembly (of which I will not be a part). There will be an enormous loss of moderates (particularly Republicans) who are leaving the General Assembly. The opportunity to build coalitions will be reduced because members at the extreme edge of partisan politics find it difficult to compromise. This will be a challenge for everyone in our state. The only answer that I can offer you is again, find those “heroes,” those people who will come to the middle (where good government really occurs) and then your job is to support them (wherever located and from whatever party). Do that and you will indeed be the architects of our future. I can’t think of a more appropriate group to take on this task. Good luck and Godspeed!