Alert from Steve Dishman and Meyer Chaskin, AIA, cochairs of the AIA/AGC Joint Committee
ADVISORY BULLETIN
To all Members of the Houston Chapters of AIA and AGC,
For the past year, our joint AIA/AGC Committee has been following closely all developments with the water penetration issue, including mold, rust, wood rotting and the EFIS concern. The focus of our study has been Commercial Building Projects.
There are significant changes coming to the insurance coverage that can be purchased by contractors for certain items. These changes may result in reduced coverage. We wanted the members of both organizations to be aware of these important changes as they design and construct buildings, as well as provide consultation services to owners.
First, there are " Exclusion Clauses to Commercial General Liability Coverage" that relate to External Insulation and Finish Systems (EFIS), appearing in all policies upon renewal, as purchased by either General or Specialty Subcontractors. It is unclear to what extent coverage for EFIS may be still available to property owners. If these exclusions appear in your policy, you may be faced with a claim against your company for water leaks and mold with no insurance available to defend the claim and pay the loss.
In addition, there are exclusions for "Microbial Matter", often referred to as a Mold Exclusion, Fungal Exclusion or Mold, Rot or other Fungi Exclusion, appearing in General Liability Policies as General or Specialty Subcontractors renew.
However, some carriers still make coverage for mold related issues available as a "buyback" or addition to a Pollution Policy. It is comparatively expensive and restrictive, with high deductibles or retention, and it often contains an absolute dollar limit no matter the number of claims.
The committee will continue to monitor these matters and report to the respective memberships as developments occur.
Dues Are Due
You should have received your 2003 dues invoice in the mail. As we did last year, we ask you to use the return envelope enclosed to mail your check and copy of the invoice to AIA Houston. We will forward it to Washington after reviewing it for accuracies in billing. Official deadline for payment is January 15, 2003.
AIA Houston Salutes Distinguished Service
At the Annual Meeting on October 15 in Midtown, the Chapter recognized three individuals who have made significant contributions to the profession.
Gertrude Barnstone was the recipient of the 2002 Artist Award for her "consummate skill in sculpture that enhances and complements Houston's public and private spaces."
John Zemanek, FAIA, professor of architecture at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, University of Houston, received the Educator Award. His citation read: "for a career of inspiring students and colleagues to link social responsibility with design."
Ronda Wang, Associate AIA, received the Chapter Citation, the first intern to be so recognized. Her citation: "for remarkable efforts in creating and nurturing a vital and active Intern Program which has influenced and shaped local, state, and national activity."
In addition to these Chapter Awards, the President of AIA Houston may select up to five people who have been particularly effective in advancing the profession during his or her presidential year. Rey de la Reza, FAIA, presented President's Citations to:
James Vick, AIA, and David Robinson, AIA, Coordinators of the Regional Urban Design Assistance Team-Housing for Houston, in recognition of exceptional commitment and leadership for the organization of a broad coalition of civic leaders and architects for the RUDAT focusing on a comprehensive housing policy for the City of Houston.
Palmer Schooley, AIA,
Creating a Forum for Public Discourse About Design, for championing the notion of self-assessment and that design matters with the initiation of Outrage and Delight as a forum for discussing the aspects of the built environment and Architecture Month--April as a celebration of architecture.
Lonnie Hoogeboom, AIA, in recognition of inspired leadership and advocacy for Intern/Associates; he is an advocate for the next generation and a committed leader in the formation of the Intern Advocate Group that brought together Architects and Interns to foster mentoring and training ideas for the benefit and professional growth of architectural interns.
News Around Town
Mayor Lee P. Brown has confirmed his appointment of Roksan Okan-Vick, AIA, to the position of Director for the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) effective immediately. Ms. Okan-Vick has over twenty-two years experience managing complex and challenging assignments, including a $29 million revitalization of Hermann Park. The management of this project encompassed fundraising to design and managing projects, programs, and personnel as well as maintaining positive and productive relationships with a variety of public and private sector interests.
The Houston Independent School District is the winner of the Broad Prize for Urban Education, a prestigious national award that includes $500,000 in college scholarships for students and the title of the 'top performing school district in America.' Congratulations and thanks not only to the Board of Education and the dedicated employees of HISD, but also to the community for your unwavering support of public education and the children we serve. Without the commitment and confidence of the Houston Community, we could not have made nor could we continue to make the progress that the Broad Prize acknowledges.
Three local non-profit organizations, Historic Houston, The Heritage Society and Project Row Houses, and developers Larry S. and Sherry Davis have structured a collaborative project that will allow five of Houston's oldest houses to be saved. Located in Houston's Fourth Ward, the houses have been recognized as significant, both architecturally and culturally, to the early history of Houston. One of the homes, a Gulf Coast cottage, has been dated to before 1866, and may in fact represent one of the oldest homes in Houston.
All five houses were donated to Historic Houston by developers Larry S. and Sherry File Davis
who recently acquired the property for redevelopment. Historic Houston will provide the funding
necessary for the immediate relocation of the homes and will in turn, donate the homes to two
other non-profit organizations, The Heritage Society and Project Row Houses that will provide the land necessary to complete the relocation.
The Gulf Coast cottage, because of its significance to both Houston and Texas history, will be
donated to The Heritage Society and relocated to Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston, the
home of The Heritage Society since 1954. The other shotgun houses will be relocated and
donated to Project Row Houses in Houston's Third Ward. They will be re-installed on land next to
the historic Eldorado Ballroom, generously donated to Project Row Houses by Hub Finkelstsein in
1998. Project Row Houses had not only the land available, but also a program in place that
would allow these homes to be adaptively reutilized and integrated back into the community. This
project serves as a model tool for historic preservation and community redevelopment.
For information: Lynn Edmundson, Historic Houston, 713/522-0542.
AIA Houston 2001 Artist Award Winner Dixie Friend Gay's civic artwork, Wild Bayou, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, received recognition as one of the best civic art projects completed in the United States in the past 12 months.
The Houston Airport System project was selected by the national arts organization Americans for the Arts for its "Fresh Perspectives / Public Art Year in Review 2002."
Wild Bayou was commissioned by the City of Houston Department of Aviation in public/private partnership with the Cultural Arts Council. Wild Bayou is comprised of a 73-foot-by-8-foot Byzantine glass mosaic mural, a terrazzo floor design with bronze inlays and specialty lighting. The artist developed the mural by researching and photographing many miles of Houston's bayous and creating several scale paintings of the mural. The nature-themed artwork represents the flora and fauna of the bayous with iridescent dragonflies, luscious pink spoonbills and vibrant humming birds within rich and varied vegetation.
Wild Bayou is installed on an undulating wall on one side of the corridor and continued on the large columns supporting the rotunda into which the space opens. An estimated 1.5 million pieces of glass less than one-half inch square were used in the artwork and a nearly infinite number of colors. Design and construction were completed with Rey de la Reza Architects, Inc., the HNTB Corporation and Manhattan Construction.
Wild Bayou can be viewed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in the pedestrian connection corridor between Terminal B and the parking garage or on the Arts Council's civic art website, http://www.cachh.org/civic/ and the artist's website, http://dixiefriendgay.com/.
AIA. What's in it for me?
Information: publications, seminars, conferences
Access: to industry standard contracts, a network of job leads, civic and business leaders
Recognition: design and service awards, national television and radio advertising, appointments to public boards
Influence: on public and Institute policy
Mentoring: one-to-one, firm to firm, professional to student
Representation: before legislative bodies, regulatory agencies
Advocacy: for the health, safety and welfare of the public, qualification-based selection for public projects, comprehensive planning and design excellence
Fellowship: with architects, with colleagues in related fields, with industry and political leaders
