Re: forum (fwd)

>  Brian Thomas Rex <btrex@xxxxxxxxxxxx> states:
>
> Why not call the former AIAS, "Future AIA members".  As far as I can recall
> the AIAS national is housed in the AIA HQ in DC.  It'll be just another
> disappoitment to find that the professional (dis)organization doesn't
> support the kids pretending to be all grown up AIAers.  What is it that
> they do do?
>
>>Involvement in the AIAS was the biggest waste of time of my academic
>>career, this side of charettes the night before a final crit.

 To which Mike Schuler replied:

>First off, as the profession has no equivalent of the AMA or ABA who would you
>have us associate with?   Would you rather we ignored all profession-related
>organizations, and just whined when the engineers and interior designers
>displaced us, etc.?
>
>Second, the AIAS is a student-run and student-focused organization. If as a
>student you felt that you belonged to the AIA Youth, it was your responsibility
>to try to make changes instead of whining about what a waste it was. WHAT did
>you do as a student? Our AIAS chapter does a great deal, and this is mainly
>because MYSELF and other people don't sit on our asses, but get things done!

First a minor point: What does Mike mean that the prof has no equivalent to
the ABA or AMA? I thought the AIA was exactly that-- the national
professsional organisation. Perhaps he means in terms of political power,
in which case I understand that in the USA the ABA and AMA are considered
quite powerful orgs, while the AIA is not.

But now the major point: I have always thought it odd, and I side with
Brian on this, that the US national student body is, in name at least,
associated with the professional org rather than the profession per se. My
reasons being, to wit:

+ There is not necessarily a connection between architectural student-hood
and the AIA. Before you all respond "What the f****?" to this, I would
point out that quite a lot of arch students do not become architects, and
of the rest only a portion ever bother to become registered*. People become
students for lots of reasons, of which intention to practice in that
occupation may only be a minor one.

+ The professional body is not identical with the profession/occupation. A
small proportion of US architects are members of the AIA. I believe I am
correct in saying that the AIA, like most prof orgs, represents mainly the
interests of its most powerful members, mainly very large firms. What is
good for these firms is not necessarily good for the rest.

+ What is in the best interests of the AIA may not be in the best interests
of students. And certainly vice versa.

Thoughts?


* In Aus (the situation is the same in the USA???) anyone can PRACTICE as
an architect, but only registered people can CALL themselves an architect.
Quite a lot of excellent designers go through life unregistered, either
calling themselves something like 'architectural designer', or getting some
token person in the office to stamp their drawings. Unless you want to
start a solo practice with the kudos of the title 'architect', there is no
particular need for registration.

Garry Stevens
Dept of Architectural and Design Science
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
AUSTRALIA

Date:         Tue, 30 Nov 2004 16:13:27 -0500
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