PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

AIA Newark and Suburban Architects A Section of AIA New Jersey

AIA New Jersey is a Chapter and Region of the American Institute of Architects

MARCH 2013

Issue 3

The Rostrum

Official newsletter of the

Newark & Suburban

Section of AIA-NJ

Published monthly

Submit events, case

studies, photos, comments,

or other content for

consideration to:

aiansrostrum@gmail.com

President’s Message 1

Design Awards - Save the Date

2

Regional Directors Report

4

Professional Practice Notes: Can we Talk Fees?

5

IDP on Valentine’s Day

6

Inside this issue: Center in Florham Park, New

Jersey. This was a joint meeting

with USGBC. North Branch

USGBC’s Patrick LaCorte, AIA

introduced RJ Donnelly of

D o n n e l l y S o l a r . T h e

presentat ion was very

informative and Continuing

Education credits were offered.

AIA-NS sponsored a Habitat For

Humanity (HFH) Event. This

event was held Saturday

evening February 23rd at the

Meadow Wood Manor in

Randolph, New Jersey. It was a

black tie optional event. There

was a silent auction, dancing

and many fun things. Mr. and

Mrs. Seth Leeb, Mr. and Mrs.

Paul Tiajaloff attended the

event along with me. Several

awards were presented and

Camille Allen, a Habitat

February has flown by and the

AIA Leadership Conference has

been rescheduled to March 2nd

due to Super Storm Sandy.

Our February board meeting

was held at my office, Fletcher

Thompson in Somerset, NJ. The

Board approved a $500

contribution to NJIT for their

IDP/A.R.E. Event held on

Valentine’s Day. Robert Ivy,

CEO of AIA National was

present and NCARB did a very

good job of explaining the

registration process. The board

also voted in a new Trustee :

Francisco Grimaldi, AIA. He

recently relocated from Virginia

to New Jersey and we would

like to welcome him.

Our First General Meeting was

held on February 21st at

Hamilton Park Conference

Homeowner explained how she

was a social worker and had

lost her home in a fire. It was

through a Habitat lottery that

she “won” her home. She

invested over 300 hours of work

in her home that took more

than two years to build. She is

eternally grateful to Habitat for

their assistance in giving her a

secure place to live.

The six-unit housing that Seth

Leeb designed for HFH in

Summit, NJ was highlighted.

AIANJ Leadership Conference

was held Saturday March 2nd

at the Community Fire Station

in East Brunswick, NJ. The Fire

Station was designed by none

other than AIANJ President,

Jack Purvis.

Continued on page 2

Rostrum 2013 Issue 3

Page 2

AIA Newark & Suburban

Board Members

Officers

LOUISE ADDONIZIO, AIA

President

JOHN A. CWIKLA, AIA

President-Elect

STEPHEN ROONEY, AIA

First Vice President

NATASHA SUZANSKY, AIA

Secretary

ALEX GOTTHELF, AIA

Treasurer

KEVIN McCORMICK, AIA

Past President

Trustees

Trustees 2013

YOGESH MISTRY, AIA

BILL MUNOZ, ALLIED

MEMBER

Trustees 2014

PAUL TIAJOLOFF, AIA

RONALD WESTON, AIA

JASON PEIST, ASSOC. AIA

ALOK SAKSENA, ASSOC.

AIA

Trustees 2015

DIEUJUSTE PIERRE, ASSOC.

AIA

FRANCISCO GRIMALDI,

AIA

Section Administrator

JULIE PAGNOTTA

aiaadmin@verizon.net

AIA NS 2012 Committees

DESIGN AWARDS 2013 - Save the Date The Design Awards Committee is pleased to

announce that the 20th annual Newark and Suburban Design Awards will be held

Thursday, October 17, 2013 from 5:30-9:30 at The Morris Museum in Morristown. The

event, which we are calling “Design Awards 2013: A Night at the Museum”, promises

to be a truly memorable evening. Architecture will take its rightful place

alongside the Museum’s fine art exhibits as

our member firms’ best work will be displayed in the Entrance Pavilion and the Museum

Court. Members and guests can stroll through the Museum and view the project boards and

enjoy good food and wine in the Entrance Pavilion. We will be announcing the awards in

the Museum’s 300 seat Bickford Theatre with its state of the art sound and projection

system. To make the evening even more

special, we will be able to tour the Museum exhibits and galleries as well throughout the

night. And as always, there is the opportunity for good conversation and camaraderie with

your fellow AIA members.

This year I am excited to be joined on the Design Awards Committee by Judy Donnelly,

AIA (past President 2010); Julia Buteux, Assoc, AIA; and Wesley Corner, AIA. Please

look for further developments and announcements both here in the Rostrum and

on the Newark and Suburban web site.

We would also like to feature projects that were submitted (not necessarily awarded) in recent

Design Awards here in the Rostrum. If interested, please submit an article (500 word

max imum) about your p ro jec t to

aiansrostrum@gmail.com. You are welcome to submit additional images, or we can use the

images previously submitted for Awards.

And as always, we welcome your questions and

suggestions.

Donald Chin, AIA Newark and Suburban Design Awards Chairperson dsdchin@yahoo.com

President’s Our next General meeting is on March 14th – a joint

meeting with CSI. It is at our usual venue: the

Parsippany Hilton. We hope to see all of you there.

AIA Grassroots Leadership conference in Washington,

DC is also coming up March 20 – 22. Attendance is

always a learning experience and learning units can be

earned.

Louise C. Addonizio AIA, PP, LEED BD+C,

NDICQ qualified,

President AIA Newark Suburban 2013

Continued from page 1

Rostrum 2013 Issue 3

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Rostrum 2013 Issue 3

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AIA Newark & Suburban

Links

Calendar

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NJAPAC

The Sky is Falling, and Other Important Visits

While there has been recent

news of an asteroid coming close to earth, a meteor strike

in Siberia, a shooting star disappearing in the sky over

Los Angeles County, and Captain Kirk coming back from

the future, I think it is more important to report on some

other recent VISITORS to New

Jersey on the 14th and 15th of February.

Late last summer, I was contacted by Michael Soriano,

AIA who is serving as the NJ

State Board of Architects President. He was arranging

for executives of NCARB to come to a meeting of the State

Board and then take a tour of NJIT CoA&D. That would be

followed by an informational meeting for the students on

IDP/ARE. Michae l was

wondering if I could invite Robert Ivy, FAIA who has

been serving as CEO and Executive Vice President of AIA

since the end of 2010. His thoughts were, and I agreed,

that Mr. Ivy would be the draw to bring out the students,

especially since the day

eventually chosen for the event was Valentine’s Day.

Well to my surprise just a week before the event I was

informed that along with Ivy,

Mickey Jacob, FAIA our new National President, would be

joining him and be in attendance for what turned

out to be a very informative evening.

This event was organized with

the help of NJIT’s Career Services led by Jane Gaertner,

along with Ashton Quinton, Associate AIA (IDP Chair) who

served as panel moderator and Jason Peist, Associate AIA

(AIANJ-RAD) who helped bring

back many of the graduates through our social media links.

The idea behind the event was

that each of the panel members would address the

assembled and then respond to questions about IDP, A.R.E.,

Licensing and the Practice of OUR profession that they are

studying. The sometimes-long process before they too can be

called an architect has been

compared to a falling sky where they have to dodge the

many obstacles that are put before them. Hopefully we

were able to clear the way for most of them.

I much appreciated Michael

requesting our help in pulling off this event despite the

difficulty with coordinating everyone’s schedules for

Valentine’s Day. The important thing is that for the first time

in a long time, the different

entities of the State Board of Architects, NCARB, Career

Services and AIA were able to work together to provide a

much needed service for NJIT CoA&D students and Emerging

Professionals already involved in the process of securing their

license.

I am sure because of the

success of this event that this new way of working together

for the benefit of our Emerging Professionals will continue.

My heartfelt thanks also goes

out to both Robert and Mickey who were able to work their

schedules into ours.

I was able to take Mickey

“down the shore” on the very

next day where he could see the extensive damage caused

months before by Super Storm Sandy. I want to report that

AIA has stepped up and provided some funding that

the Chapter will use in the near future to help many that

were hurt by the devastation

of this great storm. It is truly a great feeling that the parent

organization is there when you need it and the reason why we

all should support AIA in whichever way works best for

each of us.

Jerome Leslie Eben, AIA AIANJ Regional Director, ’11-‘13

jebenaia@aol.com

Solution to last month’s crossword:

Rostrum 2013 Issue 3

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Professional Practice Notes: Can We Talk Fees?

A few AIA Newark & Suburban

members have suggested to me recently that it would be helpful

for the Institute to provide more guidance and information on how

to e f fect ive ly compute compensation and fees to

improve the financial prospects of the profession. So the question is

“can we talk fees?” And as

established AIA practitioners understand the answer to this

basic question is yes and no.

Yes, we can and should share

information on compensation

approaches and general methods. And, we certain need to

collectively promote the value of Architects and offer suggestions

on methods practitioners can use to calculate fee models that

competitively meet client budgets and provide a reasonable return

to keep us in business.

No, the AIA (and AIA members) cannot discuss with competitors

or other members specific prices, rates, costs, discounts, or other

charges for services that affect

prices. While back in the ‘good old days’ the AIA once published fee

schedules for Architects to conveniently refer to when pricing

jobs and preparing proposals, anti-trust law challenges years ago

put an end to the establishment of standard fee percentage and

rate ranges.

In fact, before I go on it would be appropriate for me to advise

readers “It is the practice of the American Institute of Architects

and its members to comply

strictly with all laws, including federal and state antitrust laws

that apply to AIA operations and activities.”

So that said, let’s scratch the

surface here by talking about types of fees. There are a number of common methods of computing compensation or

architecture and design services. The various AIA Document “B-

series” Standard Forms of

Agreement Between Owner and Architect, and their companion

instructions, are a good source for types of fees and consistent

contract and proposal language to share with clients. The most

common types of fees, and their applications are as follows:

Time-based Fee Structures

Hourly billing can utilize fixed

dollar rates (such as $150 per hour) or they can use a fee

multiplier. There are two types of multipliers – one is a multiplier of

“Direct Salary Expenses” and another is a multiplier of “Direct

Personnel Expenses”. Direct Personnel Expenses are the most

common.

The most common application for time-based fees (e.g. time &

materials using hourly billing rates) is when the scope of the

work is not very comprehensive

or is unknown, and with existing clients who trust this open-ended

method of billing. Generally speaking, most people don’t like

being charged an hourly fee for fear of getting a surprise when

the final bill comes. When the work is charged hourly, Architects

can reduce concerns for their

client by capping the amount or identifying financial milestones

with “upsets” that indicate progress along the way.

Stipulated Lump Sum or Fixed

Fee

Lump Sum or Fixed Fee

arrangements are only suitable if the scope of the project, the

schedule for design and approvals, and the construction

schedule can be determined with

reasonable accuracy by the Architect. The fixed fee for such

assignments is negotiated after the Architect and Consultants have prepared a comprehensive estimate of work hours and

overhead costs. The AIA, and other design publications, have

sample fee calculation worksheets

that have been developed to translate the project level of effort

into a cost loaded work plan and fee.

Percentage of Cost of the

Work

A percentage-based fee is a

method of compensation which links the fee for the Architect’s

services to a percentage of the

construction cost of the project. The percentage will vary

depending on the type of building, the construction value,

and the type of construction contract. Fee ranges are quite

broad – from 4% of construction on the low end for large-scale,

low-complexity projects, to 15%

for small-scale custom projects. This remains a preferred method

of determining fees for many Architects; however, some clients

have the perception that this arrangement does not incentivize

the Architect enough to keep construction costs in budget.

With percentage fees, it is

important to be clear about what counts as part of the “cost of

construction.” One rule of thumb is to consider any scope where

design coordination is required to

be part of the cost of construction for fee purposes; so site work or

furnishings can be in or out of the construction cost depending on

the Architect’s role.

Unit Fee Cost

Less common, but sometimes

encountered with developers or commercial real estate owners

are cost per square foot, or cost per room / unit type fees.

Building tenant fit-out design is

one sector where clients are used to establishing their costs using

square foot units, including the design fees.

In some instances the project and

stakeholders will be best served

Continued on p.7

Rostrum 2013

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IDP & A.R.E. Seminar Valentine On February 14, 2013, AIANJ and

NJIT Career Development Services, with the help of Jane

Gaertner, hosted the IDP and A.R.E. Seminar at NJIT. On this

Valentine’s Day, several involved and concerned groups came

together to ignite the passion of profession of architecture by

educating, and creating a drive

for our emerging professionals as they embark on their road to

licensure.

The event was well attended by

students, post-graduates and

architects. The moderator for the evening, Ashton Quintin Jr.,

Associate AIA, the AIANJ IDP Coordinator, started by introducing

the panelists for the evening. They were Jerry L. Eben, AIA, the

Regional Director for AIANJ; Michael Soriano, AIA, the President

of the State Board of Architects;

Michael J. Armstrong, AIA, CEO of NCARB and Robert Ivy, FAIA, CEO/

EVP for AIA. Guest speakers included Joseph Abello from the NJ

State Board of Architects and Martin Smith, AIA, Manager for the

Intern Development Program. The event was a joint effort among

NJIT CoAD AIAS Chapter, AIA

Newark and Suburban Architects and AIANJ.

The panel provided keen professional advice to numerous

questions, while inserting their own

experiences into the discussions, making the event feel more

personal to the audience. Mr. Armstrong stated that as students

graduate they will find a field of acronyms B.Arch, NCARB, A.R.E.,

LEED, AIA, USGBC, PP, CSI, etc.. He explained that each

acronym has a meaning with

which the student will become familiar in regard to specific

standards and requirements of becoming a registered architect.

The event specifically focused on the IDP and A.R.E. requirements

as many of the attendees were just beginning the process in their

careers. Mr. Smith began by

discussing when a student can

open a NCARB record and begin

recording their ‘experience’. He discussed the different work

settings in which candidates can gain experience and how many

hours must be acquired. Smith then moved into reviewing the

seven divisions of the A.R.E. and also gave a quick overview of the 5

-year rolling clock. He mentioned

the fact that the A.R.E. tests will undergo a blackout starting July 1,

2013. During that period no tests will be administered, but anyone

already in the testing process will receive a 12-week extension to

their 5-year rolling clock time.

Martin’s main message was to start early and formulate a plan that

works for you. For more information please visit http://

ncarb.org/.

Mr. Abello’s presentation gave an overview of the prerequisites for an

architect’s license in the state of New Jersey, the required

components of the 3 E’s: Education, Experience and Exam.

The education third requires the

person to receive a professional degree from a NAAB-accredited

program. The experience portion entails completion of the IDP

process, and of course the successful completion of the A.R.E.

exam.

Abello also reviewed application for licensure and the associated fees,

which are currently $160 for a 2-

year period. He also discussed the need to complete continuing

education courses as part of licensure. For more information

p l e a s e v i s i t h t t p : / /www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/arch/

As the Regional Associate Director

for NJ, Jason Peist, Assoc. AIA reiterated the importance of AIA to

those who may not know its purpose or value. For emerging

professionals, AIA is not only an obvious choice for those seeking

work, but also those who are

seeking insight, importance and mentorship. IDP provides

preliminary guidelines for those seeking to become architects, but

AIA provides continuing knowledge to become a leader in the

profession.

Mr. Ivy spoke of his route to licensure and where it had brought

him over his long career. He introduced Mickey Jacob, FAIA, the

President of AIA who had come to town with him, and who planned

to travel with Mr. Eben on the

following day to tour Super Storm Sandy ravaged areas of the New

Jersey Shore.

Jason Peist, Assoc. AIA & John Cwikla, AIA contributed to this article. Jason is 2013-2014 Regional Associate Director for NJAIA National Associates Committee, and John is President-Elect of AIA Newark & Suburban Section.

Panelists at the IDP/ARE Seminar at NJIT/CoAD

Rostrum 2013 Issue 3

Page 7

by a combination of the above methods of compensation rather

than one single fee. For example, in the dealing with Authorities

Having Jurisdiction and obtaining approvals for a project, which can

be indeterminate in complexity and time, it may be fair to

compensate the Architect on an

agreed-to hourly rate. However,

the later phase project documentation would be

compensated on a percentage fee based on the construction cost for

the project.

As the design and construction markets continue to show upward

momentum in early 2013, with five months in a row of AIA Billing Index

(ABI) increases, it is important for

Architects to refresh their fee

development methods and approach to make sure project

compensation supports the health and growth of your practice.

Ronald C. Weston, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, / AIA NS Professional Practice

Committee Chair

rweston@psands.com

Can We Talk Fees? Continued from page 5