By Architect, Adrienne Stronge.
Becoming a licensed architect does not mean that learning is finished. Every licensed architect must also complete a certain number of continuing education hours each year. The requirement varies from state to state, but since all the architects in our office are members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), we are required to get 18 hours / year with at least 12 of those hours meeting the requirements for Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) courses.
Not surprisingly, most of the architects in our firm far exceed those requirements. The Gaines Group has always valued education for both our licensed and unlicensed professionals. Last week, Ray and I had the opportunity to add 13 hours to our transcript, and I believe we have both satisfied our yearly requirement.
While most of our HSW credits came from a single day seminar by the Culpeper and Virginia Frame Builders in Waynesboro, some of our more unique credits came from the Construction Specifications Institute’s Mid-Atlantic Region Conference that was held in Richmond, VA this year. The overarching theme this year was historic preservation.
On Friday, there was a fascinating presentation from David Riccio with John Canning and Co. David is a master craftsman who explained some of their techniques for restoring and preserving architectural details. He showed how he and his team have applied gold leaf to statues and domes on historic structures. He showed us why plastered ceilings fail and how his team repairs the problem. His most interesting video, though, showed how he removed layers of paint from historic murals that had been painted over.
On Saturday we got to hear from Glave & Holmes who have restored many Richmond-area structures. They profiled two Monument Avenue houses in very different styles that they helped to restore. Then we got to tour the Scott house on Franklin Street, now owned by VCU. This house was restored but also renovated to meet current university needs for office and meeting space.
The conference provided lots of opportunities for networking and socializing with other industry professionals. The product expo that ran on Friday allowed us to get new product information and meet with representatives of the products we encounter often in our buildings. Ray even won a prize for identifying the most species of wood correctly out of all the design professionals in attendance. There was also an awards ceremony to recognize individuals who have volunteered time with our CSI region. Ray, Charles, and Adrienne have all devoted hours to the local CSI board and Ray and Charles have served in roles at the regional and national level.
View more photos from our time below.
