Custom Residential Architects Network

First off, here's an unapologetic look at why I'm a member of the AIA in general and CRAN in particular.  And yes, I've drunk the Kool-Aid (more like I'm hooked up to the Kool-Aid IV).

But this wasn't always so.  In fact, there have been several times when a different organization has come along to capture my attention and energy, or I've thought that my dues were just a waste of money.  And it was when I really did consider giving up on the AIA that an extraordinary thing happened.

About seven years ago I wrote a letter to Zurich Esposito, executive director of AIA Chicago, to complain about how the AIA Chicago magazine focused too much on the big Chicago firms and not enough on the small firms and sole practitioners.  Zurich reprinted my letter in the next issue of the magazine and publicly challenged me to get involved and start a small firm group within AIA Chicago.  Never being one to shy away from a challenge, I and a few others got together to start a local Small Firm Roundtable.  Because of the tireless work of some dedicated AIA Chicago members, the group is going strong, having conducted numerous activities that have benefited its membership.

I relate this story because it became obvious that each and every one of us has to take responsibility for forging what we want the AIA to be.  We have to stop viewing the AIA as some group of "others" but rather as us.  It's how CRAN got started and is flourishing today.  It's really about getting involved with the AIA.

So here's just a sampling of what AIA CRAN does for us and helps give us a voice.  As you read this note that these items are the result of some really dedicated staff and some unpaid and selfless individual AIA members who want to make a positive change.

• Not to put too fine a point on it, these discussion forums, message boards, and the entire KnowledgeNet site are available because of the AIA.  Our thanks should go out to the staff that helped create and maintain this.
• AIA national convention programs aren't generated from the top down.  Rather, individual AIA members within each AIA knowledge community work at putting all of these programs together.  Believe me, from writing the proposal to rounding up the presenters, it's no small task to develop one of the programs.  And the programs that do get into the convention are selected by our peers, not some outside third party. 
• The annual CRAN symposium happens because a few really hard working and dedicated AIA members and staff organize the event.  From seminars to house tour to logistics to sponsorships, AIA members volunteer their resources to make sure the event exceeds everyone's expectations.   If you haven't attended a CRAN symposium you really should.  It'll be a real eye opener.
• CRAN is focused on encouraging residential architects to help residential architects.  To this end CRAN has teamed up with Houzz for our first ever AIA CRAN / Houzz webinar, scheduled for October 25th. 
• From print to the web, CRAN is forging relationships with media companies to get our message to the largest audience possible.  We at CRAN aren't pleased with the media's focus on what can only be described as a narrow understanding of what residential architecture is.  So we're doing something about it.

Less you think that it's only at the national level, CRAN at a local component level is very active.  For example, people like Hank Wolff AIA and Mary Alice Tucker AIA in Orlando are working tirelessly to give local AIA Orlando residential architects a forum to exchange ideas and influence our profession.

So in closing, I encourage every AIA member to get engaged and help determine what the AIA will be.  Get involved by starting or assisting in a local CRAN chapter.  Propose a webinar or convention program.  Help put together the symposium.  Encourage local architects to join the AIA. 

Whatever it is that you do decide to do, I encourage you to get involved and take positive action to make the AIA a better organization for all architects.

-------------------------------------------
Harold Dietrich AIA, NCARB
Valrico FL
-------------------------------------------

Good Morning Harold,
I can tell that you are one of the Good Guys.  I understand everything that you said.  And I used to agree completely with it.  I used to feel that WE are the AIA.  That solutions must come from ALL of US.  Got that.  However, maybe you can help me and several other people whom are questioning the apparent lack of AIA involvement regarding the big purple elephant sitting in the corner of the room?

1.  We each pay somewhere between $600+/- to $700+/- a year for our total AIA dues.  If that is multiplied by 80,000 members that = about $50 MILLION A YEAR!  So, the question is: if each of us has to be the entity that makes anything happen, just what the heck are our 50 million bucks a year funding?  I think that all of us should be able to reasonably expect that out of that vast yearly income that surely there are groups of people within the AIA (yes: the faceless "Them" to whom we all complain and who we want addressing our issues) that can actually DO things, rather than just push papers around and keep raking in the cash from us hard-working schmucks.  Our dues should buy US ALL more than a nice building in Washington, Raleigh and other locations where AIA administrative staffers enjoy cushy places in which to work and receive full time paychecks while we are out here in the trenches in a torpid economy desperately trying to earn the money to feed our families, much less pay our yearly exorbitant AIA dues. Okay?  That's the big question that leads many of us to believe that there is a THEM and definitely there is an US. 

2.  Aside from the excellent people who started and continue with the CRAN effort (thank you Mark, Dave and others), where is the Main AIA support for licensed residential architects?  Why does the CRAN have to invent its own programs to fund its efforts?  Why can't a reasonable chunk of the $50 million a year that the Big Daddy AIA takes in go to funding CRAN initiatives to help educate the public that we exist, and that here are some good reasons why they might want to hire us to design their homes?

So, I guess it comes down to: why do licensed residential architects who are AIA members have to go to the Main AIA, begging for crumbs, when the AIA takes in so much every single year?  They get HALF A BILLION DOLLARS from all of us every decade, at even the current, reduced membership levels!  And are those financial crumbs even forthcoming?  Why do the hard-working CRAN people have to invent their own ways of earning cash, when they should be able to receive several million dollars a year from the AIA budget to fund a public awareness program to help all of guys & gals out here trying to earn a living.

Lest you think I am kidding about the public at large not knowing that we exist: about 30 years ago, when I met my intended wife back then, we talked about what we each other did for a living.  She had NO idea that architects designed homes (or even buildings).  She thought that builders just got together and started building!  THAT is the perception that we face.  Sure, some people know more about what we do, but we have got to address this issue of main public perception (and swiftly) if we are ever to have a chance of getting them (the public) to even consider engaging an architect to design their homes. And for that, I keep casting hungry glances at the AIA's $50M yearly income and wondering where our piece of that pie is? And for what?  To fund ads on TV about licensed residential architects.  Ads in magazines that end up in doctor's offices.  TV reality programs about real architects solving people's problems (even the Canadian realtors are represented by at least one real estate broker on TV right now, but zero architects: we don't exist to the public; we have been erased by our own lack of attention to this matter).

But, Harold: Blessings upon you.  Thank you for your tireless efforts over the decades.  I wish there was someone in the AIA who establishes budgets that looked at people like you and the CRAN leadership and finally said: okay: here's a million a year to start: do what you will to educate the public about residential architects.

-------------------------------------------
Rand Soellner AIA
Architect/Owner/Principal
Rand Soellner Architect
Cashiers NC
-------------------------------------------

Rand,

50 million dollars aside (because we don't know if that's accurate, we don't know how it is disbursed, and frankly it doesn't include the income from Awards and AIA Docs), the fact is that we all agree with you. For decades we have paid dues and received squat. Same team, same choir box!

We can choose to spend our time whining and bitching (which I did from 1986 to 2002) or start to rebuild the AIA's structural support system from within the belly of the beast. You would be amazed at how much support we have received from within the AIA. We have literally a team of people providing support for our new symposiums, our efforts to create new residential contracts, a possible book project, an online catalog of CRAN projects, etc.  My point is that  the AIA is ready to provide help in anyway we see fit, but the AIA is made up of helpers, not leaders.  We, the leaders of the AIA, are volunteers. This explains why we received no support in the past... there was no residential leadership. So while there was a time when no one led and no support followed, today we are creating content and support for residential architects within the AIA.

The more volunteers we have, the more we can lead, the more content we can create, the more support we can provide... all with guidance and help from he AIA to help us execute it.

Join us.

Peace

Dave


-------------------------------------------
David Andreozzi AIA
Owner
Andreozzi Architects
Barrington RI
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 08:52
From: Rand Soellner
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

Good Morning Harold,
I can tell that you are one of the Good Guys.  I understand everything that you said.  And I used to agree completely with it.  I used to feel that WE are the AIA.  That solutions must come from ALL of US.  Got that.  However, maybe you can help me and several other people whom are questioning the apparent lack of AIA involvement regarding the big purple elephant sitting in the corner of the room?

1.  We each pay somewhere between $600+/- to $700+/- a year for our total AIA dues.  If that is multiplied by 80,000 members that = about $50 MILLION A YEAR!  So, the question is: if each of us has to be the entity that makes anything happen, just what the heck are our 50 million bucks a year funding?  I think that all of us should be able to reasonably expect that out of that vast yearly income that surely there are groups of people within the AIA (yes: the faceless "Them" to whom we all complain and who we want addressing our issues) that can actually DO things, rather than just push papers around and keep raking in the cash from us hard-working schmucks.  Our dues should buy US ALL more than a nice building in Washington, Raleigh and other locations where AIA administrative staffers enjoy cushy places in which to work and receive full time paychecks while we are out here in the trenches in a torpid economy desperately trying to earn the money to feed our families, much less pay our yearly exorbitant AIA dues. Okay?  That's the big question that leads many of us to believe that there is a THEM and definitely there is an US. 

2.  Aside from the excellent people who started and continue with the CRAN effort (thank you Mark, Dave and others), where is the Main AIA support for licensed residential architects?  Why does the CRAN have to invent its own programs to fund its efforts?  Why can't a reasonable chunk of the $50 million a year that the Big Daddy AIA takes in go to funding CRAN initiatives to help educate the public that we exist, and that here are some good reasons why they might want to hire us to design their homes?

So, I guess it comes down to: why do licensed residential architects who are AIA members have to go to the Main AIA, begging for crumbs, when the AIA takes in so much every single year?  They get HALF A BILLION DOLLARS from all of us every decade, at even the current, reduced membership levels!  And are those financial crumbs even forthcoming?  Why do the hard-working CRAN people have to invent their own ways of earning cash, when they should be able to receive several million dollars a year from the AIA budget to fund a public awareness program to help all of guys & gals out here trying to earn a living.

Lest you think I am kidding about the public at large not knowing that we exist: about 30 years ago, when I met my intended wife back then, we talked about what we each other did for a living.  She had NO idea that architects designed homes (or even buildings).  She thought that builders just got together and started building!  THAT is the perception that we face.  Sure, some people know more about what we do, but we have got to address this issue of main public perception (and swiftly) if we are ever to have a chance of getting them (the public) to even consider engaging an architect to design their homes. And for that, I keep casting hungry glances at the AIA's $50M yearly income and wondering where our piece of that pie is? And for what?  To fund ads on TV about licensed residential architects.  Ads in magazines that end up in doctor's offices.  TV reality programs about real architects solving people's problems (even the Canadian realtors are represented by at least one real estate broker on TV right now, but zero architects: we don't exist to the public; we have been erased by our own lack of attention to this matter).

But, Harold: Blessings upon you.  Thank you for your tireless efforts over the decades.  I wish there was someone in the AIA who establishes budgets that looked at people like you and the CRAN leadership and finally said: okay: here's a million a year to start: do what you will to educate the public about residential architects.

-------------------------------------------
Rand Soellner AIA
Architect/Owner/Principal
Rand Soellner Architect
Cashiers NC
-------------------------------------------

Luke... come to the Dark Side...

I'm not sure I'm done bitching and whining, David.  But I am getting cracks in my armor, from intelligent responses like yours.  How about this:

Yo!  AIA Central Command.  knock, knock, knock.  McFly!  Anybody in there?  Will you please publish, on this CRAN forum, the current National AIA budget.  I am sure we would all appreciate knowing where our dollars are going, and specifically, what, if anything is being allocated to the needs of licensed AIA members who happen to focus on residential architecture.

It appears that good soldiers like you, David, Mark and Harold have decided that you are in the band and you're going to play your instrument.  Okay.  I understand that.  But man, we need a PA system so that the music we are playing can be heard out there.  You have rolled up your sleeves, God bless you, and have decided to raise your own doggone money because there ain't no one else gonna give you any. Excuse the slang; just trying to drive home a point.  I hear you that the AIA is supplying you with a website forum,  good.  Great start.   But, geez: we need so much cash to fund public awareness programs.  I guess we can all don funny clothes and run through the streets of our hometowns banging pots & pans, declaring our availability and existence, but that will for sure do more harm than good.  I think TV ads, website exposure, social media and our own reality TV show are the directions in which we need to be going.  You have probably had similar thoughts.

So, the question is: how many symposiums are you going to have to fund such efforts?  Is that going to do it?
Once again: THANK YOU for doing what you are doing.  But somehow we have got to get our hands on more of the cash that the AIA rakes in each year, if we are going to have a prayer of reaching the public at large.

-------------------------------------------
Rand Soellner AIA
Architect/Owner/Principal
Home Architects
Cashiers NC
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 09:48
From: David Andreozzi
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

Rand,

50 million dollars aside (because we don't know if that's accurate, we don't know how it is disbursed, and frankly it doesn't include the income from Awards and AIA Docs), the fact is that we all agree with you. For decades we have paid dues and received squat. Same team, same choir box!

We can choose to spend our time whining and bitching (which I did from 1986 to 2002) or start to rebuild the AIA's structural support system from within the belly of the beast. You would be amazed at how much support we have received from within the AIA. We have literally a team of people providing support for our new symposiums, our efforts to create new residential contracts, a possible book project, an online catalog of CRAN projects, etc.  My point is that  the AIA is ready to provide help in anyway we see fit, but the AIA is made up of helpers, not leaders.  We, the leaders of the AIA, are volunteers. This explains why we received no support in the past... there was no residential leadership. So while there was a time when no one led and no support followed, today we are creating content and support for residential architects within the AIA.

The more volunteers we have, the more we can lead, the more content we can create, the more support we can provide... all with guidance and help from he AIA to help us execute it.

Join us.

Peace

Dave


-------------------------------------------
David Andreozzi AIA
Owner
Andreozzi Architects
Barrington RI
-------------------------------------------

(OK, was saving this for or CRAN steering committe meeting in Newport, but here goes... let me give you an example of how things work here at CRAN.)

I have an idea... CRANtv   A series of internet interviews on residential architecture that will both educate architects, but more importantly provide content to customers.  This might be produced with the help of Ann and filmed by prearranged appointment at grassroots, National Convention, and our Symposium. I would be happy to test out the concept as interviewer.... clothes optional.

These would be supported by a company sponsoring each segment.

OK, throw it against the wall and lets see what other steering committee members think about it, lets see what other CRAN members think about it, and lets see how viable it is to produce from within the AIA.

That's it, no bitching... just come up with a solution to achieve your goal.

FWIW.... we created this mass public ignorance of what an architect is over the last 5 decades.... it will take decades to get correct it.  This is a start.

Peace


-------------------------------------------
David Andreozzi AIA
Owner
Andreozzi Architects
Barrington RI
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 12:22
From: Rand Soellner
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

Luke... come to the Dark Side...

I'm not sure I'm done bitching and whining, David.  But I am getting cracks in my armor, from intelligent responses like yours.  How about this:

Yo!  AIA Central Command.  knock, knock, knock.  McFly!  Anybody in there?  Will you please publish, on this CRAN forum, the current National AIA budget.  I am sure we would all appreciate knowing where our dollars are going, and specifically, what, if anything is being allocated to the needs of licensed AIA members who happen to focus on residential architecture.

It appears that good soldiers like you, David, Mark and Harold have decided that you are in the band and you're going to play your instrument.  Okay.  I understand that.  But man, we need a PA system so that the music we are playing can be heard out there.  You have rolled up your sleeves, God bless you, and have decided to raise your own doggone money because there ain't no one else gonna give you any. Excuse the slang; just trying to drive home a point.  I hear you that the AIA is supplying you with a website forum,  good.  Great start.   But, geez: we need so much cash to fund public awareness programs.  I guess we can all don funny clothes and run through the streets of our hometowns banging pots & pans, declaring our availability and existence, but that will for sure do more harm than good.  I think TV ads, website exposure, social media and our own reality TV show are the directions in which we need to be going.  You have probably had similar thoughts.

So, the question is: how many symposiums are you going to have to fund such efforts?  Is that going to do it?
Once again: THANK YOU for doing what you are doing.  But somehow we have got to get our hands on more of the cash that the AIA rakes in each year, if we are going to have a prayer of reaching the public at large.

-------------------------------------------
Rand Soellner AIA
Architect/Owner/Principal
Home Architects
Cashiers NC
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 09:48
From: David Andreozzi
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

Rand,

50 million dollars aside (because we don't know if that's accurate, we don't know how it is disbursed, and frankly it doesn't include the income from Awards and AIA Docs), the fact is that we all agree with you. For decades we have paid dues and received squat. Same team, same choir box!

We can choose to spend our time whining and bitching (which I did from 1986 to 2002) or start to rebuild the AIA's structural support system from within the belly of the beast. You would be amazed at how much support we have received from within the AIA. We have literally a team of people providing support for our new symposiums, our efforts to create new residential contracts, a possible book project, an online catalog of CRAN projects, etc.  My point is that  the AIA is ready to provide help in anyway we see fit, but the AIA is made up of helpers, not leaders.  We, the leaders of the AIA, are volunteers. This explains why we received no support in the past... there was no residential leadership. So while there was a time when no one led and no support followed, today we are creating content and support for residential architects within the AIA.

The more volunteers we have, the more we can lead, the more content we can create, the more support we can provide... all with guidance and help from he AIA to help us execute it.

Join us.

Peace

Dave


-------------------------------------------
David Andreozzi AIA
Owner
Andreozzi Architects
Barrington RI
-------------------------------------------

Thanks for the shout-out, David!

I will indeed be at the CRAN Symposium and the future AIA National conferences. I'd be happy to schedule time with you to record a brief intro about yourself, your practice, and your involvement with the AIA. Several of the Knowledge Communities have playlists on the AIA National YouTube channel so a CRAN video feed is an option.

If you're interested in creating a video for your firm, you might want to try a service like Stupeflix or even Powerpoint, which can export as a Windows movie file. Try getting free music from the Free Music Archive to underscore (some of it is uber experimental electronica, but tracks like this might work).

It's how I made this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Ooqb6Smds (Starring David Andreozzi)

Me: Ann Harris
E-mail: annharris@aia.org
Phone: (202) 626-7384
-------------------------------------------
Ann Harris
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
-------------------------------------------

Hi Rand

I agree about seeing where the money is.  I'm the treasurer for my home owners association and am glad I am 'cause I get to see where every penny is spent in addition to developing budget constraints.  I don't know where the AIA money goes, which is my own fault as any member should have access to that info.

I do think that it's not as simple as asking for the books of AIA national.  There's a whole lot of state and local components that would have to weigh in here.  My sense is that the $50M number is way off for national.  Maybe you should go ask you local component ex dir for a peek at the books.  Bet there's not nearly as much money there as you might think given all of the costs.

I do agree that the AIA hasn't supported the residential architect over the years.  But I don't think this was a conscious decision on the part of anyone.  From our profs to our first employers, single family work was considered the bane of architectural work.  So we grew up with the notion that what we want to specialize in was, as one architect recently put it, "the dregs of the profession."  It's as Pogo said: "We have met the enemy and he is us."

So like Liberty Leading the People, rise up and take control of the AIA.  That's what folks such as Mark, John, David, et al have been doing.  It'll take time, but, as David rightly points out, the situation has taken decades (actually more like scores) to become what it is and it will decades to get it right.  But that's okay 'cause I'm in this for the long haul.


-------------------------------------------
Harold "Bud" Dietrich AIA, NCARB
Valrico FL
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 12:57
From: Ann Harris
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

Thanks for the shout-out, David!

I will indeed be at the CRAN Symposium and the future AIA National conferences. I'd be happy to schedule time with you to record a brief intro about yourself, your practice, and your involvement with the AIA. Several of the Knowledge Communities have playlists on the AIA National YouTube channel so a CRAN video feed is an option.

If you're interested in creating a video for your firm, you might want to try a service like Stupeflix or even Powerpoint, which can export as a Windows movie file. Try getting free music from the Free Music Archive to underscore (some of it is uber experimental electronica, but tracks like this might work).

It's how I made this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Ooqb6Smds (Starring David Andreozzi)

Me: Ann Harris
E-mail: annharris@aia.org
Phone: (202) 626-7384
-------------------------------------------
Ann Harris
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
-------------------------------------------

Thanks for your insights, Harold.  I am sure that you are correct.
My concerns about simply jumping in the pool and beginning to swim are that there might be gators in there.  And their name is: budget.  If the AIA will simply post their budget here, in this forum, for all to see, we could achieve an understanding of where our hard-earned cash is going, at least on the National level.

And yes, I am sure that you are right. That each component, Local, State & National can justify their consumption of every penny of our $600 to $700 yearly dues: power, water, admin staff, mortgage (on structures that we collectively own as AIA property), junkets and many other things, so that the $49+M each year gets divided and sub-divided until the big pieces become small pieces and then end up justifying even more dues.

The problems is that we are paying too much and receiving too little for residential architects and that residential architects actually compose a respectable chunk of the AIA's membership, so it is only appropriate that more of the AIA yearly dues be allocated to fund efforts that we in the residential sector feel are valid. And exactly what the heck do State chapters do for us, anyway?  Couldn't that budget be eliminated?  And use those funds in a far more productive manner, like residential architect public awareness?

And yes, I too, looked down on residential designers decades ago, until I realized that being a residential Architect was an entirely different thing.  There is a big distinction between a "designer" and an architect.  So, perhaps the big commercial guys (and I was one of them for decades) are predisposed to regard us as being inconsequential to our profession.  Well...Time to change that perception.  And yes, that is up to us.

-------------------------------------------
Rand Soellner AIA
Architect/Owner/Principal
Home Architects
Cashiers NC
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 22:05
From: Harold Dietrich
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

Hi Rand

I agree about seeing where the money is.  I'm the treasurer for my home owners association and am glad I am 'cause I get to see where every penny is spent in addition to developing budget constraints.  I don't know where the AIA money goes, which is my own fault as any member should have access to that info.

I do think that it's not as simple as asking for the books of AIA national.  There's a whole lot of state and local components that would have to weigh in here.  My sense is that the $50M number is way off for national.  Maybe you should go ask you local component ex dir for a peek at the books.  Bet there's not nearly as much money there as you might think given all of the costs.

I do agree that the AIA hasn't supported the residential architect over the years.  But I don't think this was a conscious decision on the part of anyone.  From our profs to our first employers, single family work was considered the bane of architectural work.  So we grew up with the notion that what we want to specialize in was, as one architect recently put it, "the dregs of the profession."  It's as Pogo said: "We have met the enemy and he is us."

So like Liberty Leading the People, rise up and take control of the AIA.  That's what folks such as Mark, John, David, et al have been doing.  It'll take time, but, as David rightly points out, the situation has taken decades (actually more like scores) to become what it is and it will decades to get it right.  But that's okay 'cause I'm in this for the long haul.


-------------------------------------------
Harold "Bud" Dietrich AIA, NCARB
Valrico FL
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 12:57
From: Ann Harris
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

Thanks for the shout-out, David!

I will indeed be at the CRAN Symposium and the future AIA National conferences. I'd be happy to schedule time with you to record a brief intro about yourself, your practice, and your involvement with the AIA. Several of the Knowledge Communities have playlists on the AIA National YouTube channel so a CRAN video feed is an option.

If you're interested in creating a video for your firm, you might want to try a service like Stupeflix or even Powerpoint, which can export as a Windows movie file. Try getting free music from the Free Music Archive to underscore (some of it is uber experimental electronica, but tracks like this might work).

It's how I made this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Ooqb6Smds (Starring David Andreozzi)

Me: Ann Harris
E-mail: annharris@aia.org
Phone: (202) 626-7384
-------------------------------------------
Ann Harris
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
-------------------------------------------

YES!  Now that is a GREAT idea, David.  Thank you.  Please proceed to make it happen.

As you produce the CRAN tv spots, it may be wise to have a very specific message for EACH of them, because the public doesn't interpret mixed messages very well.  In other words, my suggestion would be to have each spot focus on communicating these things:

1.  That real, licensed architects can design your home.  (you would be amazed to discover the misconceptions about what we probably all thought was obvious, but trust me, it isn't).

2.  That there are some very good reasons that you might want to consider having an architect design your home. (then do a spot explaining just one of these items per interview.  Don't try to cover them all in just one bit).

David, if you are interested, I have a growing list of Reasons For An Architect To Design Your Home on my website.  It is up to 43.  Here is the URL for that page, if you might be interested:

http://www.homearchitects.com/reasons-for-an-architect-to-design-your-home

So there is fodder for up to 43 CRAN tv interviews/Infomercials in the public's interests and ours.  Part of our Health, Safety & Welfare for the public, along with promotion of what we do and darn good reasons for it.

And I am glad to see Constructive progress being made here, rather just complaining and posturing and empty rhetoric.

But I do have one very important question: what funding source would you propose to produce these spots and where would you air them?  TV, I assume?  Sounds great!  Once again: funding source?  This is going to take some mega-cash. But it is the correct direction. 

That's the medium of our times, along with establishing a YouTube CRAN channel, if you haven't already, and having all of us create simultaneous posts on our 80,000 websites and posting them all on the same day to the big social media sites, promoting our CRANtv infomercials, so that Anyone on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Facebook HAS to notice these.  We can be heard, if we unite and agree on this exciting direction.

-------------------------------------------
Rand Soellner AIA
Architect/Owner/Principal
Home Architects
Cashiers NC
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 12:37
From: David Andreozzi
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

(OK, was saving this for or CRAN steering committe meeting in Newport, but here goes... let me give you an example of how things work here at CRAN.)

I have an idea... CRANtv   A series of internet interviews on residential architecture that will both educate architects, but more importantly provide content to customers.  This might be produced with the help of Ann and filmed by prearranged appointment at grassroots, National Convention, and our Symposium. I would be happy to test out the concept as interviewer.... clothes optional.

These would be supported by a company sponsoring each segment.

OK, throw it against the wall and lets see what other steering committee members think about it, lets see what other CRAN members think about it, and lets see how viable it is to produce from within the AIA.

That's it, no bitching... just come up with a solution to achieve your goal.

FWIW.... we created this mass public ignorance of what an architect is over the last 5 decades.... it will take decades to get correct it.  This is a start.

Peace


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David Andreozzi AIA
Owner
Andreozzi Architects
Barrington RI
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2012 12:22
From: Rand Soellner
Subject: What can you do for the AIA?

Luke... come to the Dark Side...

I'm not sure I'm done bitching and whining, David.  But I am getting cracks in my armor, from intelligent responses like yours.  How about this:

Yo!  AIA Central Command.  knock, knock, knock.  McFly!  Anybody in there?  Will you please publish, on this CRAN forum, the current National AIA budget.  I am sure we would all appreciate knowing where our dollars are going, and specifically, what, if anything is being allocated to the needs of licensed AIA members who happen to focus on residential architecture.

It appears that good soldiers like you, David, Mark and Harold have decided that you are in the band and you're going to play your instrument.  Okay.  I understand that.  But man, we need a PA system so that the music we are playing can be heard out there.  You have rolled up your sleeves, God bless you, and have decided to raise your own doggone money because there ain't no one else gonna give you any. Excuse the slang; just trying to drive home a point.  I hear you that the AIA is supplying you with a website forum,  good.  Great start.   But, geez: we need so much cash to fund public awareness programs.  I guess we can all don funny clothes and run through the streets of our hometowns banging pots & pans, declaring our availability and existence, but that will for sure do more harm than good.  I think TV ads, website exposure, social media and our own reality TV show are the directions in which we need to be going.  You have probably had similar thoughts.

So, the question is: how many symposiums are you going to have to fund such efforts?  Is that going to do it?
Once again: THANK YOU for doing what you are doing.  But somehow we have got to get our hands on more of the cash that the AIA rakes in each year, if we are going to have a prayer of reaching the public at large.

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Rand Soellner AIA
Architect/Owner/Principal
Home Architects
Cashiers NC
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